NNY Business March 2012

B

Y usIness

Lunman’s Furniture celebrates diamond anniversary page 25

March 2012

n SPECIAL: Women’s health [9-page bonus]

+

n Biz Tech n NNY Snapshot n Business Scene n Real Estate

n 20 Questions with SLU treasurer Kathryn Mullaney Page 34

Linda H. Petrie President and co-owner, Northern Glass

Ian Hill Vice-president and co-owner, Northern Glass

Women at the front

Gender no barrier to entrepreneurship in NNY

$2.95

/nnybusiness @NNYBusinessMag

Northern New York’s Premier Business Monthly Vol. 2 Issue 4 | www.nnybizmag.com

~ Jefferson County’s Longest Operating Bank ~

We’ve been Committed to the North Country since 1888.... .....and We’re not going anywhere.

Can You Say The Same About Your Bank?

It’s Time To Bring Your Money HOME...

Three Full Service Locations......

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(below STREAM Call Center)

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NNY Business | March 2012

March 2012 | NNY Business

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C o n tr i b u t o r s

BusIness

www.nnybizmag.com

Publishers

John B. Johnson Jr. Harold B. Johnson II Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce. She offers women some tips for healthy living. (p. 48)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. He offers some leadership advice for youths. (p. 49)

Sarah O’Connell is an advisor for the New York State Small Business Development Center at JCC. She writes about the benefits of government contracts. (p. 51)

Larry Covell is a professor of business at SUNY Jefferson and an attorney. He writes about the pitfalls of an antiquated New York law. (p. 47)

General Manager John B. Johnson

Executive Editor Bert Gault

Managing Editor Robert D. Gorman

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Associate Magazine Editor Kyle R. Hayes

Advertising Directors Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran.

She writes about the next generation of women in the tech field. (p. 50)

Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He outlines the role of the abstract in real estate. (p. 30)

Lenka Waldroff is curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Museum.

She writes about the history of Watertown’s Black River Valley Club. (p. 60)

Joleene DesRosiers is a freelance writer who lives in Pulaski.

In this month’s special Women’s Health section, she covers the bases for working women and mothers. (pgs. 37-45)

Karen K. Romeo Tammy S. Beaudin

Circulation Director Cindy Werner

Photography

Norm Johnston, Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Amanda Morrison

Ad Graphics, Design

Rick Gaskin, Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules

Norah Machia is a former Times reporter who lives in Watertown.

In this month’s cover story she writes about women entrepreneurs. (p. 16)

Kyle Hayes is associate magazine editor for NNY Business. He writes about the numerous resources available for women in business. (p. 24)

Ted Booker is a Johnson Newspaper staff writer. He visits Better Farm in Redwood, a working farm and artist retreat. (p. 26)

Andrea Pedrick is a freelance writer who lives in Dexter.

She visits Lunman’s Furniture in Adams on the occassion of its 60th anniversary. (p. 25)

MARKETPLACE Accounting Essentials ............…. 15 Advanced Business Systems ….. 47 A.G. Netto Realty …..................... 32 AmeriCU Credit Union …............. 46 Ameriprise Financial …............... 19 Amy Earle School of Dance ….... 15 An Eclectic Boutique …............... 15 Augustinian Academy …............ 15 Beardsley Design …..................... 13 Black Horse Group ….................. 21 Blevins Seaway Motors …........... 12 Candy Expressions …...............… 57 Cantwell & Associates ..........….. 47 Carthage Federal S&L …............... 2 Carthage Market …..................... 15 Cavallario’s Cucina …................. 56 Center for Sight ......................….. 64 Church Street Diner ...............….. 15 Clarence Henry Coach ........….. 54 Classy Kids Consignment …......... 8 Convenient Storage ..............….. 14 CREG Systems Corp. .............….. 55 Crystal Kelly ...........................….. 45 Essenlohr Motors …...................... 29 Foy Agency Inc. …........................ 8 Gerald A. Nortz Inc. …...............… 9 Ginger Stuckey ......................….. 45

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GWNC Chamber …..................... 24 GWNC Job and Career Expo …... 3 H&R Block …................................. 19 Hefferon Real Estate …................ 32 HighTower Advisors …................. 22 Howard Orthotics …..................... 38 Independent Medical Evaluation Co. …...........................15 Innovative Physical Therapy ….. 40 JCJDC .....................................….. 61 Kids Country Preschool .........….. 45 Lisa A. Sawdey ......................….. 21 Lofink Ford Mercury ...............….. 59 Louie’s .....................................….. 21 LTI ............................................….. 51 Marguerite’s Cranberry Emporium ...............................….. 21 Mary Latour ............................….. 45 Massena Hospital ............….. 39, 41 Nice N Easy ............................….. 21 NNY Builders Exchange ........….. 62 NNY Business ................... 29, 52, 63 North Country Technology Symposium .............................….. 13 North Croghan Outpost .........….. 15 Painfull Acres ..........................…… 8 Panther Premium Property

NNY Business | March 2012

Management .........................….. 48 Peebles Realty ......................…… 33 Punkin Patch Child Care .......….. 43 RBC Wealth Management ......….. 7 Rhonda’s Footeworks ............….. 21 River Hospital .........................….. 42 Scorpius Hair ..........................….. 41 SeaComm Federal Credit Union ...........................….. 50 Silver Bench .............................…. 21 Slack Chemical Co. ..............….. 49 Small Business Development Center .....................................….. 52 SMR Fibre Empire ...................….. 36 State Farm Insurance ............….. 32 St. Lawrence NYSARC ...........….. 29 T.F. Wright and Sons ...............….. 15 Thousand Island Realty .........….. 32 Three C Limousine .................….. 21 Tuggers Family Restaurant ....….. 21 Tug Hill Vineyard ....................….. 21 Watertown Daily Times .....….. 46,58 Watertown LDC ......................….. 30 Watertown Savings Bank ......….. 18 Westelcom ............................…… 61 WWTI-50 ...................................…… 6 YMCA ..............................…… 44, 45

NNY Business (ISSN 2159-6115), is published monthly by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2010-2012. All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates 12 issues are $15 a year for Watertown Daily Times and affiliate newspaper subscribers and $25 a year for non-subscribers.

Call 315-782-1000 for delivery.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email kromeo@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2422 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail tbeaudin@ogd.com, or call 315-661-2512 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y. Please recycle this magazine.

>>>Inside MARCH 2012

16

26

25

28

60

37 COVER |

|

25 60 YEARS OF SERVICE Lunman’s Funiture in Adams offers excellence in design.

SMALL BUSINESS |

32 LEWIS COUNTY Real estate transactions totaled nearly $2.5m in a 28day sales period in February.

26 A BETTER EXPERIENCE Nicole Caldwell traded big city life for a sustainable, artfriendly farm in Redwood.

33 ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY Real estate transactions totaled $2.47m over an 11day sales period in February.

|

16 WOMEN IN BUSINESS Four north country women share their roads to success as entrepreneurs in business. |

|

REGION |

28 AIDING BUSINESSES North Country Procurement Technical Assistence Center aids with contractual process.

REAL ESTATE |

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31 A NEW LEADER Hefferon Real Estate’s Lisa L’Huillier takes charge as Tri-County WCR president.

|

REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP |

30 NOT SO ABSTRACT Lance Evans details the role of the abstract in completing a real estate transaction.

WOMEN’S HEALTH |

37 10Q: BRIDGETTE GATES YMCA’s child-care branch director dishes on how she balances a career and family.

39 WEIGHT LOSS 40 STRESS MANAGEMENT 41 ACHIEVING BALANCE 42 FINDING CHILD-CARE 43 HOW TO ‘DO IT ALL’ |

BUSINESS HISTORY |

60 A SOCIAL SYMBOL The Black River Valley Club has withstood the test of time and tough economies. |

CONSTRUCTION |

62 BUILDING A VILLAGE Construction of Samaritan’s Senior Village is under way.

March 2012 | NNY Business

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NNY Business | March 2012

| ON THE COVER |

| INTERVIEW |

32 A second act After 20 years as a corporate finance executive with G.E., St. Lawrence University’s vice president for finance and treasurer found a new calling in academia. | COLUMNS |

47 BUSINESS LAW 48 COMMERCE CORNER 49 AGRI-BUSINESS

50 BUSINESS TECH BYTES 51 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

| DEPARTMENTS |

8 9 10 12 30

EDITOR’S NOTE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP

53 54 58 60 62

CALENDAR BUSINESS SCENE DINING GUIDE BUSINESS HISTORY WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

Photographer Justin Sorensen staged this month’s cover shot at Northern Glass in Watertown, capturing the reflection of the company’s brother-and-sister co-owners in a mirror that is framed by pieces of different colored glass. At left is company president Linda H. Petrie with vicepresident and brother Ian Hill.

March 2012 | NNY Business

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY OAK & CHERRY

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ALL SOLID HARDWOOD FURNITURE MANY STYLES TO CHOOSE FROM! Open Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm (Monday-Thursday by Appointment only.

Call 778-4314)

www.painfullacresfurniture.com

Maternity, Toys, Childrens Clothes up to 7/8, Baby Gear & Infant Furniture

WE BUY SELL & TRADE

Classy Kids Shop (315) 786-1744

FOY

AGENCY INC. Celebrating 61 years in business

“YOUR INDEPENDENT AGENT”

HOME • AUTO • BUSINESS • FARM Deer River 493-2391 Croghan 346-6378 Lowville 376-2731 8|

NNY Business | March 2012

D

E D I T O R ’ S NO T E espite some gender inequalities that still may exist in certain industries, the notion that women who work hard and perform well at their jobs will hit a glass ceiling is all but dead today. While competition for advancement in today’s business climate is fierce for either of the sexes, barriers that once were common for women continue to collapse.

As I look around my own office I am reminded of the fact that the old men’s club that journalism once was is no more. In fact, of the nearly 135 people who work for Northern New York Newspapers, the Ken Eysaman company that publishes this magazine and the Watertown Daily Times, some 49 percent are women.

And they work in just about every department. From news and sports to advertising, circulation, accounting, classified, ad graphics, information technology, human resources, distribution and prepress, women number roughly half our total work force. What’s more impressive is that about 20 percent of those women are in supervisory or management level positions and close to a half-dozen have worked their way to directorlevel posts.

More and more, women have proven themselves successful by working hard and taking big risks. In this month’s cover story by Norah Machia, you’ll meet four very different women in four distinctly different industries who have discovered that the best way to level the playing field is to be bold and to simply be their best at what they choose to do.

For Linda H. Petrie of Northern Glass, Watertown, Julie M. AblanWoodrow of Ablan’s Business Center, Gouverneur, Berchele L. McManimon of MASLIS Interpreting Services, Watertown, and Andrea R. DoaneLomber of the Doane CPA Firm, Dexter, and Rustic Golf and Country

Club, Pillar Point, the drive to succeed is nearly identical. They are proof that women can not only make it in business, but they also can prosper.

In this, our annual women in business issue, you’ll find a wealth of information to help women on their paths to success. From the story on page 23

by Kyle R. Hayes about local resources for women in business to a nine-page bonus section about women’s health

by Joleene Des Rosiers, I hope you find this month’s magazine informative and helpful. When you finish reading, pass it on to a woman who might find inspiration in the stories of others who have achieved success despite an often uneven field of play. n

n

n

Also this month — Kathryn L. Mullaney, vice president of finance and treasurer at St. Lawrence University, sits down to a conversation about her careers in corporate finance and higher education.

Mrs. Mullaney spent 20 years with G.E. as a corporate finance executive before she began her second act at St. Lawrence nearly 18 years ago.

Flip to page 26 and you’ll learn how Nicole M. Caldwell traded the glitz and glam of New York City for a 60-acre farm in Redwood that she has turned into Better Farm Inc., a sustainability education center and retreat for artists. Ms. Caldwell’s story is yet another that is bound to inspire. n

n

n

BUSINESS SCENE — In this month’s Scene section, which begins on page 54, you’ll find 39 faces from more than two-dozen north country businesses and organizations.

From the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Hampton Inn to a tour of the unbelievably serene Hospice of Jefferson County at Ellis Farms, we managed to catch more than a handful of folks networking in the north country.

Yours in business,

P E O P L E ON T H E M O V E Named vice president

Barton and Loguidice, Syracuse, has named Eric A. Pond, Pulaski and Alexandria Bay, vice president of the firm’s water and wastewater group.

Mr. Pond is a graduate of Clarkson University, Potsdam, and manages the Pond planning, design and delivery of municipal water and sewer infrastructure, formation of special water and sewer improvement districts, energy assessments and securing competitive grant and low or no interest project funding.

In addition to managing water/wastewater projects, Mr. Pond serves as engineering liaison to many central and northern New York municipalities, bringing the appropriate B&L resources to the varied engineering needs of these communities.

He joined the firm in 1998.

Earns e-PRO certification

Karen Peebles, licensed real estate broker of Peebles Realty Inc., Adams, completed the e-PRO Certification Program and has been awarded e-PRO certification, the official technology certification program offered by the National Association of Realtors.

Mrs. Peebles is one of more than 30,000 real estate professionals who have earned e-PRO certification and dedicated time to learning how to use social media technologies to create an online presence and reach consumers.

Realtor awarded GRI designation

Got business milestones?

Ruth Varley, a licensed real estate associate broker for Garlock Realty, Alexandria Bay, has been awarded the Graduate Realtor Institute designation by the state Realtor Institute. Ms. Varley received the honor after completing 90 hours of residential real estate education, meeting the standards established by the National Association of Realtors.

Promoted at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Syracuse, has promoted Thomas P. Tiernan to regional director of sales. Mr. Tiernan will oversee Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s midmarket segment sales, strategy and retention in the company’s Central New York Tiernan and Utica regions.

Mr. Tiernan has been with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield for 12 years and most recently served as regional manager of sales for the Watertown market.

Before joining Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in 2000, Mr. Tiernan was an account executive with KeyBank Insurance in Watertown for two years. He also spent 16 years as a district agent and regional sales manager with Prudential Insurance, also in Watertown.

A graduate of Herkimer County Community College, Mr. Tiernan is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and the Carthage Basketball Club.

n Share your business milestones with NNY Business. Email news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.

New Air Brake president named

Harrisville native Michael J. Hawthorne will take over as president of New York Air Brake Co. on July 1, according to a company news release.

Mr. Hawthorne, who attended Clarkson University, Potsdam, will succeed J. Paul Morgan, who has served as the company’s president since 1993.

Mr. Hawthorne was named vice president and general manager of Air Brake, Watertown, a Knorr-Bremse company, in January. In that position he is responsible for all technical and operational functions at the company and its subsidiaries, Knorr Brake Ltd., Kingston, Ontario; Train Dynamic Systems, Irving, Texas; Anchor Brake Shoe, West Chicago, Ill., and Premtec Inc., China Grove, N.C. Mr. Hawthorne joined the Air Brake in 1995 and was promoted to director of Train Dynamic Systems in 2001.

Admitted to Bar

Karla E. General, daughter of George and Rowena General, Hogansburg, was admitted to the New York State Bar Association by the state Supreme Court Justices of the Appellate Division, Third Department, Albany, on Jan. 19.

Ms. General received a juris doctor-

Please see People, page 14

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March 2012 | NNY Business

|9

ECON SNAPSHOT

NNY

10 |

Economic indicators Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers Jan. ’12 $1.82 Dec. ’11 $1.79 Jan. ’11 $1.51

20.5%

(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

Vehicles crossing the Thousand Islands, OgdensburgPrescott and Seaway International (Massena) bridges

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

324,178 in Jan. 2012 375,883 in Dec. 2011 331,743 in Jan. 2011

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

Source: T.I. Bridge Authority, Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority, Seaway International Bridge Corp.

Jan. ’12 $3.61 Dec. ’11 $3.50 Jan. ’11 $3.29

U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate (Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar)

9.7%

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil Jan. ’12 $3.90 Dec. ’11 $3.85 Jan. ’11 $3.53

10.5%

Average NNY price for gallon of residential propane Jan. ’12 $3.45 Dec. ’11 $3.41 Jan. ’11 $3.58

3.6%

Source: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

114, median price $129,000 in Jan. 2012 79, median price $126,000 in Dec. 2011 98, median price $127,350 in Jan. 2011

16.3% Sales

1.3% Price

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

No change

$1 on Jan. 30, 2012 $1.02 on Dec. 27, 2011 $1 on Jan. 31, 2011 Source: Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y.

St. Lawrence Board of Realtors single-family home sales 25, median price $100,700 in Jan. 2012 50, median price $75,750 in Dec. 2011 26, median price $66,000 in Jan. 2011

3.9%

52.6%

Sales

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors single-family home sales

2.3%

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

Limited data release

n Due to annual updates to year-end unemployment data, the state Department of Labor was unable to provide unemployment statistics for January before press time. Unemployment figures and nonagriculture job data will be reported in April’s issue, along with February data.

Real estate sales

Turn to pages 32 and 33 for a look at recent real estate transactions in Lewis, St. Lawrence and counties.

The following property sales were recorded in the Jefferson County clerk’s office. All sales are for the City of Watertown:

Inc., Watertown, sold to Jamie J. Shear and Jennifer A. Shear, Watertown, $148,000.

Feb. 16

Feb. 7

Feb. 15

Feb. 6

n Hamlin Street, Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., as trustee, Vendee Mortgage Trust, Santa Ana, Calif., sold to Robert Lyn Moyer, Watertown, $28,500. n 0.375 acre, 540 Bradley St., Donald E. Hall and Karen M. Hall, Watertown, sold to Douglas R. Smith Jr. and Samantha H. Smith, Watertown, $140,000. n 0.204 acre, 162 Thompson Blvd., Frank P. Florence and Julie Hudson, both of Watertown, sold to Brandt G. Anderson, Naples, Fla., $228,500. n Morrison Street, Muriel J. Weston, Watertown, sold to Scott Robert Weston and Julie A. Weston, Watertown, $57,500.

Feb. 10

n 617 Gotham St., Karen L, Kisner and Karl F. Kisner, coexecutors, will of Myra B. Thorigal, late of Watertown; and Trudy T. Casale, ancillary administrator, estate of Regina Thorigal, late of Fort Myers, Fla., sold to William C. Dertinger and Suzanne M. Wood, both of Clayton, $66,000.

Feb. 8

n 427-429 S. Massey St., Dean C. Ames, Watertown, sold to William J. Quencer and Catherine Burns Quencer, Dexter, $60,000. n Two parcels, Dimmick Street, Dean C. Ames, Watertown, sold to Northland Operations, Brownville, $60,000. n 126 W. Lynde St., Thousand Islands Area Habitat for Humanity

n 758 Davidson St., Joshua L. McGrath, aka Joshua McGrath, and Miranda L, McGrath, aka Miranda McGrath, Watertown, sold to Jorge A. Molina, Fort Drum, $83,000. n 0.47 acre, Superior Street, Robin L. Makuch, Evans Mills, sold to Chester Kubis and Tonya Kubis, Black River, $48,000. n 0.229 acre, 195 Thompson Blvd., David A. Renzi and Amy R. Renzi, Watertown, sold to Scott Eugene Hashagen and Frankie L. Hashagen, Fort Drum, $244,000. n 257 Thompson Blvd., Jennifer Irwin Copeman, Watertown, and Bruce R. Irwin, Watertown, sold to Travis W. Hartman and William G. Hartman, Watertown, $135,000.

Feb. 3 n 0.1722 acre, Park Avenue, Casford I. Johnson and Tamara D. Johnson, aka Tamara Desire Johnson, Glenburnie, Md., sold to Anthony J. Burgess and Jessica S. Raymond, both of Watertown, $151,000.

Feb. 1

n 349 Winslow St., Shaun Donovan, secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C., sold to Kenneth Hanners, Sackets Harbor, $30,000.

$1,479,500 City real estate sales recorded over a 16-day period, Feb. 1-16.

Note: Due to updates in some “Econ. Snapshot” categories, numbers may differ from previously published prior month and year figures.

NNY Business | March 2012

NNY

Economic indicators New automobiles (cars and trucks) registered in Jefferson County Cars 270 in Jan. 2012 319 in Dec. 2011 205 in Jan. 2011

31.7%

Trucks 82 in Jan. 2012 87 in Dec. 2011 47 in Jan. 2011

74.5%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

Passengers at Watertown International Airport

Open welfare cases in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

1,977 in-bound and out-bound in Jan. 2012 3,640 in-bound and out-bound in Dec. 2011 377 in-bound and out-bound in Jan. 2011

1,985 in Jan. 2012 1,954 in Dec. 2011 1,884 in Jan. 2011

5.4%

427%

DBAs

Source: Social Service Depts. of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office in February.

Feb. 22: Skillz Apparel, 32902 Route 3, Great Bend, retail apparel.

Joseph G. Mono, 32902 Route 3, Great Bend.

Classic Clean, 878 Mill St., Watertown. Jacie J. Rumble, 878 Mill St., Watertown.

Feb. 21: Beast Coast Customs, 521 Cayuga Ave., Watertown. Joshua L. Porkarski, Fort Drum, and Jessip E. Phillips, Watertown.

Feb. 9: Mark Webb Motorsports, 24808 County Route 54, Brownville, racing. Mark J. Webb, 24808 County Route 54, Brownville.

Feb. 17: Fire Magick, 325 Coffeen St., Watertown, entertainment and fire dancing. Jozette Barmann, Lorraine, and William S. Hill, Watertown.

Feb. 8: Mimi’s Depot Café, 13449 Depot St., Adams Center. Linda Maguire, 15813 County Route 68, Rodman.

D & J Burnham General Contracting, 14453 County Route 63, Adams Center, construction. Daniel L. Burnham, 14453 County Route 63, Adams Center.

Feb. 16: Sideline Promotions, 25600 County Route 59, Dexter, sales and advertising. Michael C. MacMillan, 25600 County Route 59, Dexter.

Perfectly Pictured Photo Booth, 804 Edwards St., Carthage. Ernest L. and Cheryl A. Prievo, 804 Edwards St., Carthage.

Musicology, 241 State St., Watertown, music store, repairs and lessons. Michele M. Brinson, 324 Main St., Antwerp .

Feb. 7: Bessy’s Computer Repair Shoppe, 511 Clay St., Watertown.

Matthew Bessy, 511 Clay St., Watertown.

Sarah’s Cleaning Services, 681 Mill St., Watertown. Sarah A. Yerdon, 681 Mill St., Watertown.

St. Lawrence Canvas, 46643 Tennis Island Road, Wellesley Island, canvas and upholstery sewing. Frederick W. Mowers, 46643 Tennis Island Road, Wellesley Island.

Feb. 15: Northern Lights Management, 18560 County Route 162, Watertown. Daniel R. Laudon Jr., 18560 County Route 162, Watertown.

AMF Services, 14192 County Route 90, Mannsville, construction.

Andrew M. Fargo, 14192 County Route 90, Mannsville.

8 Point Entertainment, 206 Franklin St., Apt. 204, Watertown. Immanuel G. Harper, 206 Franklin St., Apt. 204, Watertown.

Feb. 6: Selley’s Lawncare and Snowplowing, 2081 Doran Road, Copenhagen. Stephen T. Selley Jr., 2081 Doran Road, Copenhagen

Diana L. Burt, 720 Washington St., Watertown, salon and spa.

Diana L. Burt, 25403 County Route 57, Three Mile Bay.

Feb. 3: Adams Center Self Storage, 18041 Goodenough St., Adams Center. Matthew J. Waite, 20838 County Route 189, Lorraine.

Feb. 14: Deline’s Landscaping and Snow Removal, 12580 Moffatt Road, Dexter. Jason Deline and Crystal Conlon, 12580 Moffatt Road, Dexter.

McFaddensite.com, 4430 Po Valley Road, Fort Drum, Internet retail.

Jacob L. McFadden, 4430 Po Valley Road, Fort Drum.

Spaulding Chiropractic, 1222 Arsenal St., Suite 13, Watertown.

Richard M. Spaulding, 31448 Middle Road, Watertown Mike’s Mechanical, 666 S. Hammond Road, Hammond, plumbing, heating and electrical. Michael S. Ferguson, 666 S. Hammond Road, Hammond.

Feb. 13: BSR Enterprises, 23535 Woodland Drive, Watertown, motorsports. Brandon J. Sweet, 30181 Middle Road, Watertown.

Feb. 10: Eisenhauer Law Firm, 200 Washington St., Suite 301, Watertown. Roscoe A. Eisenhauer Jr., 19300 Evans Road, Brownville.

Fixations, 229 E. Lynde St., Watertown, online marketing. Joseph R. Repp Jr., 229 E. Lynde St., Watertown.

Honey Do Lane, 15867 County Route 76, Adams Center, horse boarding stable. Kenneth and Jada Schwendy, 15867 County Route 67, Adams Center .

Rogers Auto Detailing, 594 W. Main St., Watertown. David A. Rogers, LaFargeville, and Christopher L. Rogers, Watertown .

Mets Lawn Care, 21006 Hunt St., Watertown. Robert Collette and Josh Cox, Watertown.

Roberts Pizzeria, 839 State St., Cheney Tire Plaza, Watertown. Scott M. Shean, 933 LeRay St., Watertown.

Five Corners Greenhouse, 27516 Five Corners Road, Calcium.

Samuel J. and Deborah Biondolillo, Calcium.

Feb. 1: Scofield Farms, 13202 County Route 66, Adams Center, trucking. Joseph A. Scofield, 13202 County Route 66, Adams Center.

Lateasa’s Delights, 7 Oxford St., Carthage, retail. Lateasa L. Hildebrand, 7 Oxford St., Carthage.

Lane and Sons Trash Removal, 322 W. Kirby St., Dexter. Patrick C. Lane Sr., 322 W. Kirby St., Dexter.

transactions

Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 11

B u s i n e s s Br i e f ca s e ing and cooling. The building houses the newest linear accelerator in St. Lawrence County, accessed by an “open” design for greater comfort. The center connects directly with the hospital adding easy accessibility between both facilities.

The chamber will name three additional nominees for the Pride in Potsdam Award this year, and will choose the annual award winner in the fall.

Front row from left: Lori Durant, clerical assistant, Barbara Durkin, LPN, with Canton-Potsdam Hospital Cancer Care Center 2012 Pride in Potsdam certificate, Sandy Rahn, patient navigator, and David B. Acker, Canton-Potsdam Hospital president and CEO. Middle from left: Rob Bicknell, Potsdam Chamber board member, David Fenton, Potsdam village administrator, Marylee Ballou, chamber executive director, and Heather Wenzel, chamber board member. Back from left: Chip Morris, chamber board member, Jackie Dow, director of oncology, Mary Ellen Girard, patient representative, and James Theodore, CPH and chamber board member.

Cancer center nominated for Potsdam award

The Potsdam Chamber of Commerce recognized Canton-Potsdam Hospital’s Cancer Care Center as the first nominee for the 2012 Pride in Potsdam Award.

Pride in Potsdam nominees are chosen based on criteria focused on an ongoing commitment in showing pride throughout the community.

The center is being recognized for its forethought in designing both the exterior and interior of the center. The reception area features wall art by local photographer Jane Lammers. The new 6,000-square-foot facility is one of the few buildings in the north country that uses geothermal heat-

Alex Bay screen printing shop opens second store

The New York Shirt Company, a screen printing and embroidery shop, has expanded into West Carthage.

The specialty printing shop is taking orders for screen printing, embroidery and custom rhinestoning. The company has outgrown its store in Alexandria Bay.

Chipotle slated for City Center Plaza

A popular national restaurant chain will move into a storefront in City Center Plaza off Arsenal Street in Watertown.

Alexandria Bay developer Patrick M. Donegan has confirmed that Chipotle Mexican Grill will open soon in a storefront that adjoins Five Guys Burgers and Fries in a 5,000-square-foot building in the development near Interstate 81.

Representatives from Denver-based Chipotle recently submitted plans to the city’s code enforcement office, Watertown Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham said.

Mr. Donegan said he doesn’t know yet how long it will take to complete the 2,300-square-foot interior, when the restaurant will open or how many people it will employ.

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center and Alliance Imaging technicians Pete Rogati and Bill Feagley and radiology manager Debbie King.

Hospital earns threeyear ACR accreditation

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center and Alliance Imaging, Ogdensburg, have been awarded a three-year accreditation in positron emission tomography as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology.

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR practice guidelines and technical standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.

Inn and spa opens

The Siam Classic Inn & Spa, 62 Elm St., Potsdam, an 1883 Victorian-style home, was recently renovated into a small luxury bed and breakfast in Thai style.

The house has a rich historical background and the inn offers a unique experience for discerning travelers. Owners John and Amornrat Lindsey recreated a Thai atmosphere that reflects the authenticity and old flavors of ancient Thailand.

The inn was built in the time of King

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NNY Business | March 2012

Got business news?

3RD ANNUAL

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NORTH COUNTRY TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM & IT EXPO

Business. Email news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.

Rama V in Thai history but gives guests a feeling of going back in time to all of the golden periods of Thailand.

The Potsdam Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting last month. Visit www.siamclassicinnandspa.com to learn more.

WSB featured in national banking magazine

Watertown Savings Bank was recently featured in Independent Banker magazine for its targeted consumer marketing blitz called the “Switch Simple” campaign.

The campaign capitalized on the news of HSBC bank announcing the sale of its area branches to a Buffalo-based regional bank First Niagara and turned into a large-scale marketing campaign that encompassed Internet, print and retail marketing and advertising.

“Switch Simple” resulted in more than 500 people opening new accounts within three months of the campaign hitting the streets and airwaves.

Visit www.watertownsavingsbank. com or call 1 (800) 870-8510 to learn more about Watertown Savings Bank or its “Switch Simple” campaign.

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NYSERDA energy audits

Through passage of the Green Jobs Green NY Act, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is offering small businesses and nonprofits access to a free and intensive energy audit of their building.

Upon completion of the audit, participants will be able to make decisions as to what improvements they can make to increase their energy efficiency, reduce their carbon footprint and lessen their expenses. Small Business Development Center advisors can guide business owners through the application process to bring in a team of certified auditors which will result in a comprehensive report with recommendations, costs and anticipated savings and payback periods.

Call the SBDC at Jefferson Community College, 782-9262, to learn more about the NYSERDA program.

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 13

P E O P L E ON T H E M O V E PEOPLE, from page 9 ate with specialization in global law and practice from Syracuse University College of Law. She received a master’s degree in sociology from Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

In May 2007, she graduated General cum laude from St. Lawrence University, Canton, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and government. A Presidential Diversity Scholar, McNair Scholar and Gates Millennium Scholar, she was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, Gamma Sigma Alpha, the National Greek Academic Honor Society, and Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.

Ms. General has been employed by the Indian Law Resource Center since October 2010 at the main office in Helena, Mont., and recently transferred as staff attorney to the Washington, D.C., office.

Hired at national bureau

Jacqueline S. Longton, former Lewis County business development coordinator and Watertown city planner, is now employed as an economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C. Ms. Longton began her position Aug. 29.

She is a 2000 graduate of LaFargeville Central School and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, in 2004. She received a master’s degree in economics from Trinity College of Dublin University, Ireland, in 2005. Ms. Longton lives in Arlington, Va.

Staff changes at NFCU

Melissa Snyder is the newest virtual solutions professional in the credit union’s Virtual Solutions Department.

She brings several years of organizational experience to the department, which is located in Watertown and serves members at Northern’s six locations.

Ms. Snyder will help members with their loan and deposit Snyder portfolios, handle queries submitted via telephone and Internet and conduct transactions through the personal teller machine.

Previously, Ms. Snyder was employed

by SUNY Brockport and CattaraugusAllegany BOCES. She joined the credit union in February 2011.

A resident of Watertown, Ms. Snyder earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Brockport and a master’s degree from Springfield (Mass.) College.

Hope Walker has been appointed as an internal auditor. She brings more than 14 years of audit and analyst experience to the credit union.

Ms. Walker will evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the credit union’s risk management, control Walker and governance processes.

She most recently was employed as a treasury analyst for Sealed Air Corporate of New Jersey. She also served as an inter-

nal auditor/analyst for Agfa Corp.

Ms. Walker is a graduate of Gouverneur Central School and SUNY Oswego. She is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and earned the globally accepted Certified Internal Auditor designation in 2004.

Kimberly Brouty has been named organization support manager. She brings more than seven years of financial service and information technology experience to her new position.

Ms. Brouty will oversee Northern’s account solutions and loan processing teams Brouty while providing support for the member solutions team.

Ms. Brouty began her career at Northern in 2004. She is a lifelong resident of Lewis County and a graduate of Beaver River Central School.

New at Sovie & Bowie

Lisa A. Sawdey recently joined Sovie & Bowie certified public accountants at its 167 Polk St., Watertown, office.

Ms. Sawdey is a certified fraud examiner, Quickbooks certified pro adviser and an enrolled agent with the Internal Revenue Service. Previously, she was an accountant in Clarence.

She holds an associate degree in accounting from Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, and a bachelor of science degree in economic crime investigation from Hilbert College, Hamburg.

She is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Association of Certified Public Accountants.

She moved to the north country from Buffalo.

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c o ver s t o r y

Leading

ladies { } For four north country women, success in business is the best way to level the playing field.

W

BY NORAH MACHIA

omen owned approximately 7.8 million businesses (excluding farms) in the United States in 2007, according to the most recent Survey of Business Owners published by the U.S. Census Bureau.

In that same survey, New York State reported 594,421 womenowned firms, with a total of $84 billion in receipts, making it third behind California and Texas for the number of women entrepreneurs. But the statistics don’t tell the whole story.

Many north country women striving to build their own businesses have found that balancing work and family life can be a challenge, but it’s part of what makes them successful.

Gender lines seem to be disappearing when it comes to parenting, as many women and men are increasingly sharing child-care duties, said Lynn M. Pietroski, president

16 |

NNY Business | March 2012

Berchele McManimon signs the phrase “Interpreters should follow rules,” in Flower Memorial Library last month. Ms. McManimon owns an interpreting service for the deaf.

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 17

c o ver s t o r y and CEO of the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce.

“There are more day care options available for women who work outside of the home,” Mrs. Pietroski said.

But for those women who want to stay home with their children, there are numerous businesses that can be successfully run at home, thanks to the Internet, such as sales or consulting work, she said.

“These types of businesses allow a woman to stay at home, take care of her children and draw an income at the same time,” Mrs. Pietroski said.

18 |

NNY Business | March 2012

In families with older children, it’s not uncommon for the children, and sometimes the spouse, to help with the operation of the woman-owned business.

Some women also find that reaching out to other business owners can provide them with valuable support, guidance and encouragement as they work toward success.

Networking among women business owners allows them the opportunity to exchange information about their services and programs, and at the same time, discuss the challenges involved in operat-

ing their own businesses, said Michelle A. Collins, certified business adviser with the state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton.

That organization provides counseling services to St. Lawrence County residents who are interested in starting their own businesses. Approximately half of the center’s clients are female, Ms. Collins said.

The SBDC plans a women’s conference each year in Canton to give business owners an opportunity to meet each other.

This year’s event will be co-sponsored with Women TIES, a Syracuse-based

c o ver s t o r y networking organization for women entrepreneurs. It will take place May 22 in Canton, with plans still being finalized for the location, Ms. Collins said.

In addition to the networking opportunities, the SBDC has been receiving more requests for assistance from women entrepreneurs who want to learn how to secure government contracts, she said.

There are two certification programs for women: the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program and the New York State Minority and WomenOwned Business Enterprise programs.

For some, it’s worth the long application process, especially if they can offer a service that is “underrepresented” by women, particularly in the construction fields, Ms. Collins said.

Sarah C. O’Connell, certified business adviser with the state Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College, said “mainly because of Fort Drum, we are seeing more women interested in these certifications.”

“It’s a very rigorous process,” she said.

“A woman has to be a key part of the business.”

For example, “if a woman has other employment, that could work against her application,” Ms. O’Connell said. “We see businesses that have been operated by the same families, but are now being passed down to a woman in the family, or a woman is starting her own business.”

In both cases, they may offer services that would be eligible for government contracts, she said.

The Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce can also help women through the North Country Procurement Technical Center, which is operated at the chamber offices, 1241 Coffeen St., said Mrs. Pietroski.

The service was started in 2008 to help local businesses expand through government contracting, particularly at Fort Drum.

The SBDC in Watertown has also served military wives who are not necessarily interested in government contracting, but are trying to re-establish their businesses in the north country since their spouses were transferred to Fort Drum, Ms. O’Connell said.

“We have seen many Fort Drum spouses who have portable businesses that can be set up anywhere, such as digital photography or online consulting,” she said. “There is really a broad spectrum of these types of businesses.”

Women seeking assistance can contact the SBDC at JCC, 782-9262, the SBDC at

SUNY Canton, 386-7312, or the Watertown Chamber at 788-4400.

Four north country women who own very different businesses recently shared their success stories, along with the challenges they faced along the way.

L

inda H. Petrie, president and co-owner of Northern Glass Co. on Route 37 in Watertown, can still remember the strange looks she received when she walked onto a construction site in Carthage many years ago.

She was eight months pregnant at the time.

Along with the “funny looks” from the male workers, she was immediately offered an arm and an escort around the area from an older gentleman who insisted she not walk by herself, Mrs. Petrie said.

But for the most part, Mrs. Petrie hasn’t faced much opposition in a field that is typically dominated by men.

“Most people don’t care, as long as you take care of them,” she said.

Mrs. Petrie co-owns Northern Glass with her brother, Ian Hill. The company

has installed glass in numerous buildings throughout the north country, including the Samaritan Medical Center’s new pavilion in Watertown, SUNY Potsdam campus buildings and the Fort Drum Commissary.

They also offer residential services, including sunrooms and shower installations, along with auto glass repair in the company’s body shop.

Although Mrs. Petrie grew up in the family business, she didn’t initially plan to help take it over. The company was first started on Newell Street in 1949. Mrs. Petrie’s father, John Hill, took over as manager in the 1960s. The next decade, he and his wife, Jean, purchased the business.

“I’ve been coming into the business since I was 13 years old,” she said. “All of us kids would come in on Saturdays to help. We would clean and mow the lawns.”

After graduating from General Brown High School, Dexter, in 1975, Mrs. Petrie went to SUNY Geneseo, earned a business degree, and later moved to Texas.

“I didn’t think I would ever come

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c o ver s t o r y

A MELANIE KIMBLER-LAGO | NNY BUSINESS

Julie Ablan-Woodrow, owner of Ablan’s Business Center, works last month at her store on Main Street, Gouverneur.

back,” she said.

She decided to return in 1982 to help her parents out for “only a year or so,” she said.

Mrs. Petrie has been with the business ever since.

As the oldest sibling, she became president and her younger brother, Ian Hill, became vice-president when their father retired in the early 1990s. It was in 1998 that Mrs. Petrie decided to take the steps necessary to become a certified womanowned business enterprise in New York State. The task, however, was not a simple one. It took Mrs. Petrie four years to accomplish.

“At the time I had applied,” the WBE designation was perceived by many as a way for a man to put a business in a woman’s name in order to gain an advantage in bidding government contracts, she said.

But in reality, there is an in-depth review process to ensure that an applicant is a legitimate one, she said.

“It’s very involved,” she said.

In her case, there were lengthy phone interviews conducted by state officials to determine if she was actually a key part of the business operation, Mrs. Petrie said.

There was also more than 100 pages of documentation that had to be submitted for review.

“I told them that I was here five days a week and I would often come in on the weekends to do whatever work was necessary,” she said. “I told them this wasn’t

20 |

NNY Business | March 2012

just a hobby.”

She was asked about the projects that the company had completed, along with the finances, the key personnel and the family involvement.

Mrs. Petrie’s husband, Terry D. Petrie, is director of the Northern New York Builders Exchange and is not involved in the business operation.

In the long run, it was worth it for Northern Glass to have that designation, because many federally-funded projects at Fort Drum and those funded by the state require a certain percentage of contracts be awarded to woman-owned or minority-owned businesses, she said.

Today, the company employs between 20 to 30 people, depending on project schedules.

Although Northern Glass is a family operation, she and her brother have managed to separate business and family, Mrs. Petrie said.

“Some family businesses really struggle with relationships,” she said. “But at the end of the day, we’re family and we still love each other. When my parents were running it together, they didn’t talk about business at home. Now at the end of the day, when I’m done with work, I’m done.”

Her children — Peter Hatch, 30, Erin Hatch, 28, and Christine Petrie, 24 — have all been involved with the Northern Glass business at one time or another. Christine still handles the company payroll and the human resources.

major car accident that left Julie M. Ablan-Woodrow with multiple injuries nearly 15 years ago lead the Gouverneur woman to eventually build her own downtown Gouverneur business.

Ablan’s Business Center, 47 E. Main St., offers a range of services, including computer repairs and sales, copying and faxing, along with office supplies. The business also has an AT&T cellular phone store, along with a UPS shipping center.

Mrs. Ablan-Woodrow’s journey to become a successful woman entrepreneur started after the car accident in 1998. Her injuries, which included a concussion, four broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a compound fracture of her right leg, made it nearly impossible to work full-time outside the home.

She refused to feel sorry for herself, and instead decided to take advantage of her self-taught computer repair skills and start a home business – Julie’s Computers.

A grant from the New York State Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities helped her get the business off the ground.

“I could fix anything on a desktop,” she said. “My husband would bring home computers from work and tell me his co-workers couldn’t get on the Internet. I would fix them for him and he’d take them back.”

She later started changing modems, video and sound cards. In 2003, she decided it was time to move the business out of the house and into a storefront on Church Street.

The computer repair service quickly expanded after moving downtown. Mrs. Ablan-Woodrow later picked up the office supply business after a local supplier closed its doors, and opened the UPS shipping center after another store stopped the service. She added the AT&T phone business to meet an unmet need in the area.

Mrs. Ablan-Woodrow moved her business into its current location in June 2005 after purchasing the building. In 2010, she went from being a sole proprietor to a corporation and now has three part-time employees.

A grant from the St. Lawrence County Local Development Corp., along with assistance from the Small Business Development Center in Canton, helped her to expand, she said.

Mrs. Ablan-Woodrow said she also received a great amount of family support. Her husband, Larry E., and two sons, Michael, a senior at LeMoyne

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c o ver s t o r y College, Syracuse, majoring in finance and information systems management, and Frankie, a Canton ATC student, have all helped out at the business.

“I was raised that family comes first,” she said. “It worked well being at home when the boys were younger.”

Even after she moved the business to downtown Gouverneur, her family still came first, Mrs. Ablan-Woodrow said.

“If one of the boys needed something, I would lock up the store, put a note on the

22 |

NNY Business | March 2012

door and leave to take care of it,” she said.

I

t was a childhood crush that first prompted Berchele L. McManimon to learn sign language.

“He was 13 years old,” she laughed. “He was a cute boy in the church choir. He was also deaf.”

She was growing up in the south side of Los Angeles at the time; just a few blocks away from the infamous South Central rioting that took place in the early 1990s.

A teenager herself, she decided the only way to communicate with the young boy at church was to learn sign language from his deaf friends.

“It was total immersion,” Mrs. McManimon said. “The deaf community taught me how to communicate.”

At the time, her godparents were also working as interpreters, so she was able to learn American Sign Language from both the teenagers and the adults.

“When I was in high school, most of my friends were deaf,” she said. “That was my family.”

After graduating from high school, Mrs. McManimon worked as a sign language interpreter and later continued her education, graduating from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, with a psychology degree.

While the childhood crush didn’t quite work out, the interpretation career took off. She was able to find work at several schools in the Los Angeles area providing educational interpreting for both students and staff.

Then she met her future husband, Timothy S. McManimon, an Army soldier.

After their marriage, the couple was transferred to Hawaii, Washington and eventually Fort Drum.

Her interpreting skills could be used anywhere, so it wasn’t long after arriving in the north country that Mrs. McManimon began working as a freelance interpreter.

“When you are in the military family, you meet a lot of people” and make a lot of connections that help with “word-ofmouth” advertising, she said.

Mrs. McManimon also received support getting established in the area from Jackie Frechette, an American Sign Language instructor at Jefferson Community College.

“She was my mentor,” Mrs. McManimon said.

After freelancing for several years, she decided to establish her own business, MASLIS Interpreting Services. She is currently operating as a DBA, but is in the process of becoming a limited liability company.

Mrs. McManimon does not have any employees, although she will occasionally subcontract with other interpreters if needed.

“This is a rural area, and I really saw a need for this type of service,” she said.

“The deaf community has really made me very welcome.”

Mrs. McManimon, who has a 13-year-

c o ver s t o r y

Business resources for women entrepreneurs abound

By Kyle R. Hayes

W

NNY Business

hen starting or growing a business, advisers will stress the importance of networking. For woman-owned businesses or female entrepreneurs looking to start their own firms, many networks are already in place to help.

In Syracuse, the Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Women’s Business Center, 2610 S. Salina St., is an epicenter for information and advice for women currently operating businesses or looking for information on how to start one.

“We offer services that allow women to grow businesses the way women enjoy doing business, by connecting them with one another,” Joanne Lenweaver, director of the WISE Center.

Ms. Lenweaver and Lindsay Wickham, events and communications manager for the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University, assemble the yearly WISE Symposium, a networking event that draws women and business owners from throughout the state and Northeast. The 10th annual WISE Symposium is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3, at the OnCenter complex in downtown Syracuse.

“We are expecting more than 1,000 people for this year’s event,” Ms. Lenweaver said.

“We are taking over the entire building so there’s no ceiling on how many people we can take.”

This year’s event features a keynote speech from Barbara Corcoran, a real estate and business expert who was featured on the ABC reality show “Shark Tank.”

“She is just a shark, she sold her business for many millions of dollars, but intended people to have a feeling of real ownership in the company and a family atmosphere,” Ms. Lenweaver said. “She ruled with an iron hand and made sure everyone had a stake in the success of the organization, something most women probably want to emulate.”

The WISE Symposium is much like a reunion for many women in business throughout the north country. Organizations like the Watertown-based Business of Women even sponsor bus trips and car pools to the event, according to Business of Women co-founder Sarah C. O’Connell.

“Business of Women partners with business groups from Syracuse, like WISE, and Canton to bring speakers here and promote them through our own networks,” said Mrs. O’Connell, a certified business advisor at the state Small Business Development Center at

Jefferson Community College.

Mrs. O’Connell founded Business of Women with Community Bank’s Jennifer Huttemann-Kall after attending a WISE Symposium in 2004. In addition to the symposium, Business of Women sponsors various events, including a luncheon with Women Together Inspiring Entrepreneurial Success (TIES), a regional networking and business organization.

“It doesn’t cost anything to join us at Business of Women,” Mrs. O’Connell said. “It’s not just women that own businesses, it’s professional women that work throughout the area, for nonprofits, in banks and so forth.”

To register for the WISE Symposium or for more information about the WISE Center, visit www.wisecenter.org or call 443-8693.

Admission to the symposium is $85 for the entire conference, $30 for the afternoon expo only from 3 to 6 p.m., and $20 for students.

For information on Business of Women and their events, visit www.facebook.com/BusinessofWomen. n KYLE R. HAYES is associate magazine editor for NNY Business. Contact him at khayes@wdt.net or 661-2496.

Helpful links WISE Center www.wisecenter.org Business of Women www.facebook.com/BusinessofWomen Women TIES www.womenties.com Gouverneur Business Women www.facebook.com/pages/GouverneurBusiness-Women/203871824437 Women’s Council of Realtors — Tri-County NY Chapter www.wcr-nys-tri-county.webs.com Women’s Network for Entrepreneurial Training www.oswegocounty.org/trainingnetworking.htm Women’s Business Enterprise National Council www.wbenc.org National Association of Women Business Owners www.nawbo.org U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce www.uswcc.org

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March 2012 | NNY Business

| 23

COVER STORY old daughter, Addie, is providing interpretation services in both Jefferson and Lewis counties.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that an interpreter be provided for a deaf person in public settings, as well as many private ones. The law applies to entities such as hospitals, doctor’s offices, municipalities, schools and businesses.

The cost of the interpretation service is covered by the entity, not the deaf person, she said. There are some tax incentives, however, available to private businesses that pay for the service.

“The only time a person would pay for the interpreter is for a private gathering, such as a wedding or a family reunion,” she said.

Interpreters must be sure that the message they are translating for the deaf person is exact, particularly in cases involving medical advice, such as directions on how to take a medication, Mrs. McManimon said.

It’s not uncommon for interpreters to work together, for example, to cover a meeting lasting more than two hours, or for a school play, which involves several dialogues, she said.

24 |

NNY Business | March 2012

SPECIAL TO NNY BUSINESS

Andrea R. Doane-Lomber in her Dexter CPA firm.

A

ndrea R. Doane-Lomber found herself juggling dual careers while raising her two children alone after her husband’s death in 1996.

Mrs. Doane-Lomber, who remarried several years ago, became a widow after her late husband, Kerry M. Doane, a Watertown City firefighter, took his life at age 42.

At the time, Mr. Doane and his family were operating the nine-hole Rustic Golf and Country Club on Route 59 in Pillar Point. After her husband’s death, part ownership was passed along to Mrs. Doane-Lomber, who later decided to purchase the remaining portion of the business from her sister-in-law. She is now president and 100 percent stockholder.

The golf course employs nine people, including several family members, and operates from April to October. It includes a restaurant and a bar, which are open to the public.

One of the biggest challenges in operating the golf course has been the competition, Mrs. Doane-Lomber said.

“Only about 10 percent of people play golf,” she said. “There are only so many golfers to go around.”

Maintaining the property is also a challenge, but her family helps with the operation. Her husband, John Lomber, manages the pro shop. Her son, Sean Doane, a self-employed contractor, maintains the golf course and does the equipment maintenance. Her daughter, Erica Doane, a SUNY Potsdam student, helps manage the restaurant and bar.

“I consider all the employees family,” Mrs. Doane-Lomber said. “I have worked with them for many years. They are local people from the Pillar Point area.”

A large part of operating a golf course

involves the labor to maintain it, she said.

“We have nine holes to manicure, and a short time to do so,” she said. “We basically have a short period of time each year to make it.”

Prior to her husband’s death, Mrs. Doane-Lomber had started a bookkeeping service in 1987 out of their house in Pillar Point so she could stay at home with the two children. Her son was five years old and her daughter was one year old at the time.

She was keeping books for the Rustic Golf Course and Country Club, but decided she wanted to expand her business and take on other customers. It was at that time Mrs. Doane-Lomber set a goal for herself. She wanted to become a certified public accountant.

However, it was a long time before she achieved that goal.

“I went to school part-time for many, many years,” she said. “Looking back, it was something that I wish I had done before having kids. Raising a family on your own, working and trying to get all your school work done is a real challenge.

She eventually received an accounting degree in 2004 through SUNY Empire State College.

At age 45, Mrs. Doane-Lomber became a certified public accountant. She worked in the Watertown firm of Jerry Gardner for several years before she decided it was time to start her own business, as sole proprietor of a certified public accounting firm. “[Mr. Gardner] was really my mentor,” while she worked as a bookkeeper and later a CPA at his firm, Mrs. DoaneLomber said.

In 2008, she established her own business, Doane CPA Firm, and set up shop in her Pillar Point home. Mrs. Doane-Lomber does audits and tax returns for individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. She also maintains a CPA license in Florida, where her mother resides. Mrs. Doane-Lomber does audits for homeowners associations in the Orlando area.

Mrs. Doane-Lomber’s daughter is following in her mother’s footsteps. Erica is studying for an accounting degree and plans to eventually become a CPA. Sean’s girlfriend, Melissa Bourgal, works as a staff accountant, tax preparer and bookkeeper for the Doane CPA Firm.

“There is no way I could do all of this without my family,” she said. n Norah Machia is a freelance writer who lives in Watertown. She is a 20-year veteran journalist. Contact her at nemachia@yahoo.com.

S M A L L BUSIN E SS

A ‘detail-oriented’ drive to succeed n Lunman’s Furniture marks six decades of sales in South Jeff area

By Andrea C. Pedrick

L

NNY Business

unman’s Furniture and Appliance Center, 70 N. Main St., Adams, is celebrating its diamond anniversary this month in southern Jefferson County.

Jack Lunman opened his store in 1952 on N. Main Street. At that time he sold Zenith television sets and appliances. Mr. Lunman retired in 1984, which opened the door for his son, David H., to take over full-time store ownership.

For 60 years the family-owned business has carried on a tradition of top-flight customer service and attention to detail in the work they do for each customer.

To the community of Adams, Lunman’s Furniture and Appliance Center is a local business that employs people, offers a service to the community and thrives through tough economic times.

To the everyday customer it’s a candy store of sorts — it is filled with items for the home — including kitchens, furniture, appliances and flooring.

For life-long Adams resident Thomas G. Williams, Lunman’s was his first job. In 1958, at 18 years old, he worked for Jack Lunman selling televisions. He was paid 90 cents an hour, plus commission. Since that time his connection to Lunman’s has never faltered.

As a young married couple, Mr. Williams and his wife, Ann M., bought a Norge Ringer Washer for their home and later, an automatic washer and dryer. They continued to return to Lunman’s for other home furnishings and appliances.

Mr. Williams recalls family dinner conversations about the quality of service and products purchased at Lunman’s.

This influenced his five grown children to also shop there. He said his family’s decades of purchases go beyond just nostalgic reasoning, “Their prices are always competitive.

It’s a friendly atmosphere and we trust the product lines and servicing,” Mr.

“

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

David H. Lunman in one of the kitchen displays that he designed inside of Lunman’s Furniture showroom in Adams. Mr. Lunman was one of the first kitchen designers to use a computer for design work.

making deliveries. About two years into working at the store, as a high school junior, his interest was drawn to designing kitchens.

“I knew the big part of the business was the kitchen aspect,” Mr. Lunman said. “Today I am the most experienced kitchen designer in the north country. And I was one of the first to design kitchens using a computer.”

It’s not only Mr. Lunman’s expertise, but his atDavid H . Lunman, owner tention to detail that make Lunman’s Furniture and Appliance Center him renowned as a kitchen designer. the store to buy furniture and appliances “I’m a stickler for making sure a kitchen for his new home. Mr. MacIlvennie said is installed just right. I’m at the job mulLunman’s convenient location initially tiple times because I want the kitchen to brought him to the store — but what also be built exactly the way I designed it with was important to him and still is — is the homeowner in mind.” shopping local.

He has been running the day-to-day David and his siblings all worked at operations of the store since 1984. the store at some point as they grew up.

“Dad was detailed oriented. So am I. However, what influenced him to stay I see that as a good quality for taking involved and not his siblings? care of our customers and running the “It was 1970 and I was 14 years old store.” when I started working at the store. My Williams said.

Necessity brought another lifelong resident of southern Jefferson County to Lunman’s.

In 1964, Douglas G. MacIlvennie was fresh from the Army and walked into

It was 1970 and I was 14 years old when I started working at the store. My dad worked long hours and I wanted to spend time with him.

—

dad worked long hours and I wanted to spend time with him,” he said.

He started by dusting furniture and

n ANDREA c. pEDRICK is a freelance writer and former television reporter who lives in Dexter. Contact her at abrped@twcny.rr.com.

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 25

ENTREPRENEURS

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Nicole M. Caldwell, owner of Better Farm, Redwood, walks the garden area of the greenhouse and the birdhouse with her two dogs, Hans Solo and Coby.

Building a better farm n Ex-NYC woman blends agriculture, art at 60-acre Redwood complex

By TED BOOKER

S

NNY Business

ome entrepreneurs hash out their business plans years in advance, while others get their motivation from an unexpected breakthrough.

When Nicole M. Caldwell was living in Brooklyn three years ago and writing for a trade magazine after earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, she never thought of launching a small business.

But when her 67-year-old uncle, Stephen F. Caldwell, died in 2009, and she inherited his 60-acre farm in Redwood, the plan quickly materialized. She explained

26 |

NNY Business | March 2012

that her uncle, who became a quadriplegic after a car accident in 1963, started what she called a “hippie farm” with his friends by purchasing the property in 1970.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be cool to rent the house for artists? And after meeting with my family members, I decided to do it,” she said. “It’s given me a way to transcend something that was sad and turn it into a great experience.”

Although she admits she knew little about farming or how to run a business at the time, a few months later she opened Better Farm Inc., a sustainability education center and retreat for artists that hearkens to the days her uncle launched the farm.

With eight rooms, the farmhouse can host up to 15 visitors at a time for the program, she said, which runs from June to September. Geared toward painters, musicians and those who want to get their hands dirty farming their own food, Better Farm offers summer internships for college students, as well as residency programs for those who wish to stay anywhere from a week to two months. The program also offers workshops for the public during the summer — art, music, yoga and outdoor adventures — as well exhibitions of artists’ work.

What makes the farm distinctive, she said, is its combination of art and farm work. While giving a tour of the farm,

ENTREPRENEURS

“

This is the total synthesis, a collision of art created with sustainable features.

Everyone brought something different to the table.

— Nicole M. Caldwell owner, Better Farm

Ms. Caldwell pointed out a small shack equipped with a water system designed last summer by a girl from Kenya named Lizzi, who plans to build one in her native town. A small solar panel outside lends electricity to two fluorescent light bulbs, while a blue mural painting featuring birds lines the inner walls. All of the wood and materials for the shack, also known as the “birdhouse,” were bought from or donated by local lumber companies, she said.

“This is the total synthesis, a collision of art created with sustainable features,” she said of the group project, which took about two months to complete. “Everyone brought something different to the table.”

Illustrating that point, Mike C. Brown, Ms. Caldwell’s cousin, is busy painting bright, neon colors on a piece of cardboard. Last summer, he painted a dilapidated piano and filled the top with soil and morning glory flowers.

“I’m into sustainable art,” he said, “and I’m always making stuff out of our garbage here. It’s all about that fusion.”

In addition to their different skill sets, artists who participate in the program hail from places across the country and overseas, Ms. Caldwell said. Artists enrolled this past summer came from Singapore, Kenya, Oregon, Ohio, Arizona, New York City and Boston. She likened the sense of diversity to the communes established in the north country during the 1960s and ’70s like her uncle’s. Adding to the melting pot, her uncle’s friends from the 1970s often stop by with some fresh venison to share with the crew, she said.

“It’s crazy when we sit down and have dinner and listen to everyone’s stories,” she said. “This place is vibrant, and everyone here lends so much to the scene.”

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Above, some artwork left in the Art Barn studio that is presently being renovated at Better Farm near Redwood. Below, Mike C. Brown, cousin of Better Farm owner Nicole M. Caldwell works on one of his eclectic art pieces at the farm.

As a requirement of the program, all residents spend a couple of hours every day doing chores on the farm, she said.

Everything from lettuce, zucchini, celery and potatoes to sunflowers and strawberries are grown on a plot of soil, which is made from compost and cow manure. Stationed inside the plot is a coop with three chickens used to prepare the ground, she said, explaining that they scratch and turn over the soil like a tilling machine would.

The coop is rotated every three weeks to keep the ground fresh for planting.

And when the artists sit down at the

dinner table to eat the food they planted, it means a lot more than breezing through the drive-through at a fast-food restaurant.

“When people get to cultivate and eat their own food, it’s exciting and transformative,” Ms. Caldwell said, adding that some people spend their entire lives without doing so. “I get to sit and watch their attitudes about food change, and that’s what’s so gratifying.” n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at 661-2371 or tbooker@wdt.net.

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 27

R E G ION

Matching business with government n North Country PTAC helps businesses work through maze of red tape

By TED BOOKER

F

NNY Business

ort Drum offers a wealth of government contracts for businesses in the north country to take advantage of, but the process can seem like a giant hurdle. For example, business owners may think that applying will take too much time, or that contracts aren’t lucrative.

While government language can be hard to decipher, staff at the North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center, 1241 Coffeen St., Watertown, conducts one-on-one meetings with business owners to break everything down, doing most of the work for them, said Stephen M. Barr, program manager. The center, which is at the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce, was launched in 2008 to help businesses expand by doing more work with the government.

“The services at PTAC provide an English translation of government contracts, and we’re here to help you through the maze,” Mr. Barr said.

Since its inception, the center, which offers a range of free services, has partnered with an increasing number of businesses in the tri-county area, he said.

Mr. Barr and assistant Katrina L. Kapustay help clients understand how to apply for and bid on government projects and develop marketing and business plans that match each company’s niche with the right projects.

The number of businesses seeking help at the center has ballooned from 52 in 2008 to 178 last year, Mr. Barr said.

Businesses have earned more than 1,000 contracts since 2009. Fort Drum awarded most of those contracts, but the list also includes an array of government projects, such as highway infrastructure and expansion projects at state universities.

“Traditionally, we work with companies that have been in business for a long time and want to expand by working with the government,” Mr. Barr said. “We’ve had a lot of construction projects recently, especially with the growth and expansion

28 |

NNY Business | March 2012

Stephen M. Barr is program manager for the North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center, pictured here at the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce.

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

of Fort Drum.”

When Mr. Barr meets with a client for the first time, he identifies projects a client might seek. A roofing company, for example, might be a subcontractor for a project.

Using an online database, he searches for government contracts across the region in which the company might be interested. The center contacts business owners by email when a potential match is found.

“Smaller companies may be looking for regional projects, while others are looking for national projects,” Mr. Barr said.

“The system we use pulls contracts from hundreds of websites to find the right matches.”

Business owners who might not think projects are readily available still should visit the center, he said, so they can develop a profile for their company and understand how the process works.

By doing so, they’ll be ready to hit the ground running when a contract meeting their criteria becomes available.

“You want to be ready when the contract comes out, because if you don’t have it ready, you might not have time to put together a successful bid,” Mr. Barr said.

“Government contracts are cyclical, so clients will be able to know when they’re expected to come out ahead of time.”

Clients are able to view a history of contracts in the area, such as at Fort Drum, to get an idea of how much money contracts

“

R E G ION You want to be ready when the contract comes out, because if you don’t have it ready, you might not have time to put together a successful bid.

— Stephen M. Barr, program manager North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center

are awarded for and at what time they typically become available during the year, Mr. Barr said. It usually takes about two months for government agencies to award contracts after announcing them.

Right Price Cos., a commercial furniture dealer in Syracuse, is an example of a company that has taken advantage of the PTAC program to expand. CEO David L. Price said the company began working with staff in Watertown in 2008 to learn how to apply for government contracts at Fort Drum. Since then, the company has won seven contracts and is installing modular offices at a 1,400-square-foot office building at Fort Drum that will be used to provide counseling services for soldiers.

After attending a government matchmaking event at Jefferson Community

College, Right Price made several valuable connections with government agencies that led to securing contracts, Mr. Price said.

“Networking with the PTAC gave us the tools to go out and (find) government businesses,” he said. As a business owner, “you’re only as strong as your network, and if you’re looking to do business with the government, the center gives you tools and resources that you need to be familiar with.”

Mr. Price said the partnership with PTAC has enabled Right Price to expand its market into the north country and he hopes an ongoing relationship with the center will lead to more projects. n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at 661-2371 or tbooker@wdt.net.

North Country PTAC ON THE WEB www.northcountryptac.com TELEPHONE 788-4400 ADDRESS 1241 Coffeen St., Watertown UPCOMING EVENTS n North Country PTAC, along with the state Small Business Development Center at JCC, will host its “Selling to the Government Matchmaking Event” from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 27 at JCC. Business owners will have a chance to make appointments with agencies, prime contractors and local, regional and national firms.

To register, call the Small Business Development Center at 782-9262. n On April 10 at 5 p.m. North Country PTAC presents “Introduction to Government Contracting” at the Commons on Fort Drum. Event sponsirs include the New York Business Development Corp., Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, Development Authority of the North Country and the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce.

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March 2012 | NNY Business

| 29

R E A L E S TAT E R OUN D U P

Role of the abstract in real estate

R

ecently, I interviewed Mike Yonkovig, president of Brownell Abstract Corporation, on the role of the abstract of title in real estate transactions.

Brownell Abstract has been in business for more than 40 years and Mr. Yonkovig has been involved with the company since 1985, purchasing it in 1991. The company offers abstracting and title insurance services in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

According to the American Land Title Association, “An abstract generally refers to and summarizes all documents and proceedings in the public record that affect title to the real estate concerned.”

In our area, an abstract goes back 40 years or to the last time a warranty deed (or “good title”) was filed, whichever is earlier.

Other areas require different periods of time. A warranty deed is generated when the seller guarantees they have a clear title to a piece of real estate and a right to sell it.

The abstractor’s job is to look back through the records and find the point in time when the seller had clear title to the property and no one else had a claim on it.

An abstractor uses public records from the relevant municipality to research a property’s history. This includes any deeds or liens that have been filed with the clerk’s office. They also may access other files in the search. For instance, if the abstract company prepared an abstract previously on the property, the abstractor could use that information as part of their update.

Some road blocks to clear title would be if an abstract showed a tax sale, a sale by the executor of an estate or a quit-claim deed. The latter transfers interest or title to the buyer without a warranty. Any of

these would result in the abstractor going back further in the records.

A warranty deed does not mean that a property will be free and clear of easements.

An easement is Lance Evans a right of way giving persons other than the owner access to or over a property. One of the most common is utility companies and municipalities. These generally show up on a warranty deed and are therefore noted on the abstract.

Another part of Brownell Abstract’s business is title insurance. This is a onetime charge that safeguards a property owner against loss arising from any defects of title. For instance, if a claim exists, but was not filed with the clerk’s office, it might impact the owner’s title to the property.

Abstracts are important as the preparation of the chain of title by a skilled, competent abstractor will ease the real transaction and benefit the buyer and seller. An abstractor is part of the team of professionals who, along with the real estate licensee, appraiser, home inspector, lender and attorney, help the buyer and seller complete a successful real estate transaction. n

n

n

Members and staff from the JeffersonLewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors recently participated in the New York State Association of Realtors leadership

and business meetings. Members attended many committee meetings and several had leadership roles.

Both boards were honored for reaching their goals for the Realtors’ Political Action Committee. Money raised for RPAC helps ensure that property ownership throughout the state and nation remains a priority. Recent successes include legislation to extend the first-time homebuyer’s tax credit, extend the National Flood Insurance Program, and to defeat proposals that would have increased closing costs in New York. n

n

n

NYSAR has chosen St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors’ President Jennifer Stevenson to attend its Leadership NYSAR program.

Established in 2008, it brings together a select group of 13 to 15 emerging Realtor leaders in New York who meet throughout the year in various locations around the state. The program is designed to help participants refine their strategic and organizational capabilities, discover new strategies for professional and personal success, establish effective procedures for goal-setting and problem-solving and develop a better understanding of industry and association issues.

Previous north country graduates include Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors members Karen Peebles (2008) and Jennifer Dindl-Neff (2010). n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He has lived in the north country since 1985. Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

CONTACT WLDC TODAY - GROW YOUR BUSINESS TOMORROW! THE WLDC EXISTS TO HELP move your strategic business plans forward.

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For help with expanding or relocating your business to the City of Watertown Contact: Donald W. Rutherford CEO

Watertown Local Development Corporation (WLDC) 82 Public Square Watertown, NY 13601 30 |

NNY Business | March 2012

Phone: 315.786.3494 Fax: 315.786.3495 email: don@watertownldc.com

R E A L E S TAT E

WCR leader rallies women in field

By Gabrielle Hovendon

A NNY Business

lthough Lisa A. L’Huillier has encountered plenty of ceilings in her decades-long career as a Realtor, she’s never hit a glass one.

Ms. L’Huillier, a New York State licensed real estate broker and the owner of Hefferon Real Estate, Watertown, says she has never faced discrimination as a woman in business, something she attributes to the prevalence of females in her field.

“Real estate seems to be woman-friendly.

That’s been the trend even since I got into the business,” she said. “I’ve never had somebody say, ‘you know what, I’d rather have a man sell my house than a woman.’”

That’s not to say Ms. L’Huillier hasn’t worked her way up the ladder.

Before coming to Hefferon Real Estate, she spent time as a rental clerk at an apartment complex near Cornell University, Ithaca, and as an assistant manager at an off-post housing company near Fort Drum. She began her career as a Realtor at Hefferon with then-owner Thomas H. Hefferon in 1990, and in January 2000 she became owner.

Since then, she has seen the office at 28 S. Massey St., Watertown expand from four to 10 employees, and she has watched the north country come through the national mortgage crisis mostly unscathed.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve had some really good years,” Ms. L’Huillier said. “Real estate is a tough business. It’s difficult because you only get paid strictly on a commission basis, so you could have all the properties you can think of, but you don’t make anything on them until they sell.”

Ms. L’Huillier also is the 2012 president of the Women’s Council of Realtors TriCounty New York Chapter. The chapter, one of nine in the state, is a 36-member professional real estate group affiliated with the Women’s Council of Realtors, a national professional development organization with 19,000 members. The organization, which is open to men and women in real estate, works to promote networking and empower women entrepreneurs.

“It’s not only useful for the Realtors, it’s useful for the entire business community,” said Charles F. “Chuck” Ruggiero Jr., a Realtor at Hefferon and the 2012 secretary of the Tri-County chapter. “As a women’s

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Lisa A. L’Huillier is broker-owner of Hefferon Real Estate and president of Women’s Council of Realtors Tri-County New York Chapter.

organization it achieves parity with the other business organizations in the community. It gives respect for the achievements of women in business.”

Among the benefits the Tri-County chapter provides for its members in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties are a minimum of eight education programs a year, with topics that range from technology and business development to leadership, diversity and tax advice. Some upcoming public events include a March 20 roundtable discussion with women leaders titled “Got Leadership?” and an April 17 presentation about the use of Facebook in realty.

“We have a full plate of events,” Ms. L’Huillier said. “We’re working on providing different types of education that are relevant to real estate. We’re also working on ways to get people more involved within the council. This might help prepare somebody to be a board member for a local organization; this might give them the voice that they would not have otherwise had.”

As chapter president, Ms. L’Huillier has been responsible for producing a regular newsletter, documenting program efforts and traveling to state and national council meetings. She also has worked to organize events for charity, including a June golf tournament to benefit Family Counseling Service of Northern New York and an August fashion show to benefit the

Watertown Urban Mission.

“She’s always willing to help,” said Lance M. Evans, executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors.

“She has a good spirit, and that assistance also applies to her business side — real estate a lot of times is a cooperative business. She’s got good leadership skills.”

In addition to her leadership with the Women’s Council of Realtors, Ms. L’Huillier has taken the helm as secretary and president of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors in 1996 and from 1998 to 2000, respectively. She also volunteers as a member of the Watertown Housing Authority board, the Family Counseling Service board, the education committee of the Northern New York Community Foundation and the Rotary Club of Watertown.

Ms. L’Huillier says these volunteer efforts have a two-fold advantage.

“By being involved with volunteer organizations you’re doing something that benefits the community, but you’re also networking with other people who might not have known you before,” she said.

“You’re expanding your business network and you’re giving back as well. Everybody benefits from that.” n GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a former Watertown Daily Times reporter and freelance writer who lives in Watertown. Contact her at ghovendon@gmail.com.

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 31

real e s tate / le w i s c o u n t y The following property sales were recorded in the Lewis County clerk’s office:

Feb. 27

n Village of Lowville: 7600 Easton St., Ellen R. Irving sold to Andrew W. Nikitich, $75,000.

Feb. 24

Feb. 13

n Village of Copenhagen: 9963 NYS Route 12, Michael W. Eddy II sold to Michael J. Grandjean, $91,921. n Greig: 5117 Pleasant Valley Road, John W. Burke Jr. sold to Willard C. Rhone, $117,000.

n Diana: 7805 NYS Route 3, Aaron Thompson sold to Carl D. Pierce, $66,000.

n Lewis: Swancott Mill Road, Dale T. Edwards sold to Andrew J. Kiehn, $15,000.

Feb 23

Feb. 11

n Diana: 6922 Hogsback Road, Karen K. Lachausse sold to Dustin S. Rasmussen, $39,000.

Feb 22

n Village of Lowville: 5487 River St., Steven M. Fuller sold to Paul R. Virkler, $50,000. n Croghan: 10824 NYS Route 812, Donald Bryer sold to Kevin J. Boshart, $118,000. n Osceola: 705 Redfield Road, Wayne J. Carew sold to Richard Carew, $18,000.

Feb. 17

n Denmark: 9869 East Road, Steven W. Widrick sold to Benjamin W. Hannosold, $197,000.

Feb. 16

n Greig: Linda Place Road, Linda Place LLC sold to Walton J. Sugrue, $35,000.

Feb. 14

n Village of Harrisville: 14324 Pearl St., Robert M. Deabler sold to Nicholas J. Wescott, $12,600.

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n Watson: Peckham Road, Francis L. Wilcox sold to Frederick Breem, $15,000.

Feb. 9

n Lowville: 7865 NYS Route 26, Paul A. Schamback sold to Randi F. Muzumdar, $290,000.

Feb. 8

n Turin: Gomer Hill Road, Kevin Halladay sold to Andrew G. Bishop, $35,000. n Watson: 6549 River Road, Philip Hunter sold to Adam P. Zehr, $160,000. n Village of Lowville: 5343 Summitt Ave., Northern Federal Credit Union sold to Stanley K. McDonald, $81,000.

Feb. 6

n Greig: 7017 Brantingham Road, Carla Derrenbacher sold to Adam J. Empie, $65,750. n Martinsburg: NYS Route 26, Gary Zawatski sold to Marcia A. Gohlert, $87,500.

Feb. 3

n Martinsburg: 3611 Gardner Road, Christopher Dysinger sold to Robert C. Diehl, $105,000. n Greig: 4316 Lyons Falls Road, Shawn M. Widrick II sold to John A. Passage, $150,000.

Feb. 2

n Denmark: Limburg Forks Road, Sara C. Foley sold to Michael J. McLane, $15,000. n Harrisburg: 8673 NYS Route 12 Norma Kennell sold to Walter J. Kennell, $346,000. n Leyden: Norton Road, Kenneth J. Boshart sold to Mike’s Salvage & Demolition, $18,000.

Feb. 1

n Croghan: Old Croghan Road, Leland Pierce sold to Thomas E. Yancey, $15,000. n Croghan: 5485 NYS Route 410, Michael S. Bush sold to Johnathon C. Brotze, $124,000. n Village of Port Leyden: 3318 Pearl St., Samuel Marmon sold to David Marmon Sr., $90,000.

Jan. 31

n Croghan: 10287 NYS Route 126, Victor J. Tripp sold to Caleb J. Tripp, $65,150.

$2,496,921 County real estate sales recorded over 28-day period, Jan. 31-Feb. 27, 2012

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NNY Business | March 2012

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R E A L E S TAT E / s t. law re n ce c o u n t y The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office:

Feb. 6

Christopher and Amanda Ritchey, Winthrop, sold to Seaway Timber Harvesting Inc., Massena, $80,000

n Town of Russell: 1 53/100 acres more or less, in Great Ttract 3, bounded by Russell Road, Christine L. Fountain (executor), Ronald B. Fountain, Russell, sold to Joseph and Jill Thomas, Russell, $25,000

n Town of Fine: 19.6 acres more or less, being a part of Lot 19, bounded by Browns Falls Road, George D. and Catherine Gemind, Pine Mountain Club, Calif., sold to Matthew and Michelle Brincka, Webster, $70,000

n Village of Massena: 0.138 of an acre more or less, bounded by Urban Drive and David Lane, Richard J. Poupore Jr. and Julia E. Poupore, Massena, sold to Michael Chambers, Massena, $60,000

n Town of Morristown: 85 1/100 acres more or less, bounded by Baldram’s Lot, Levi P. Swartzentruber, Katie J. Swartzentruber, Peter D. Swartzentruber and Lovina J. Swartzentruber, Ogdensburg, sold to Edward C. Carter, Alexandria Bay, $110,000

n Town of Colton: 6.41 acres more or less, in Great Tract 2, bounded by state Route 3, Keith E. Winot, Stroudsburg, Pa. and William E. Winot, Piermont, N.H., sold to Bridget Hewson, Tupper Lake, $50,000 n Town of Morristown: 2.54 acres more or less, bounded by County Route 6, Joan Bletsch, Oakland, Calif., sold to Kenneth J. and Valerie Lynne Buck, Alexandria Bay, $205,000 n Town of Louisville: 0.372 of an acre more or less, in Lot 312, bounded by Wilson Hill, Mark F. LaVigne and Alison Molea-LaVigne, Delmar, and Richard A. Molea, Ossining, sold to John G. Smith, Massena, $217,300 n Town of Massena: 12.217 acres more or less, in Lots 33 and 34 of Tract M, bounded by South Racquette River Road, Robert Chambers, Rochester, Ann Norton, Winthrop, Leary Chambers, Chase Mills, David Chambers, Liverpool, Michael Chambers, Massena, Mark Chambers, Liverpool, and Julia Poupore, Massena, sold to Richard J. Poupore Jr. and Julia E. Poupore, Massena, $88,285.71

Feb. 3

n Village of Massena: Unknown acres, being a part of Lots 10 and 11, bounded by Marie Street, Racquette Valley Habitat for Humanity Inc., Canton, sold to Teresa Marie Cuming-Floropoulos, Ontario, Canada, and Russell White, Massena, $51,000 n City of Ogdensburg: Unknown acres, being a part of Block 80, bounded by Jersey Avenue and Mechanic Street, Hazel P. Lumbard, Ogdensburg, sold to Michael Montalvo, Ogdensburg, $27,000 n Village of Massena: 0.17 of an acre more or less, bounded by Orchard Road, Maureen E. and Richard L. Hoxie, Massena, sold to Arnold B. and Catherine Caskinette, Massena, $90,000 n Town of Pitcairn: Unknown acres, being a part of Lot 15, bounded on the north, east and south sides of Portaferry Lake Drive, Land First Inc., Lacona, sold to Daniel L. and Cynthia Bancroft, Harrisville, $99,900 n Town of Lawrence: Unknown acres, bounded

by Brasher Falls-North Lawrence Highway, Maxine Ann Rist, Brasher Falls, sold to Christopher D. and Emily A. Lashomb, Latham, $126,500

Feb. 2

n Town of Lawrence: 111.33 acres more or less, in Mile Square 10, bounded by Driscoll Road,

Feb. 1

n Village of Parishville: of an acre more or less, bounded by Clark Street, Margaret M. Sherman, Potsdam, sold to George and Candice LaPage, Colton, $69,500

Jan. 31

n Town of Hopkinton: Unknown acres, bounded by state Route 11B, Elvin B. Boulds Jr. and Patricia Boulds, St. Regis Falls, sold to Steven Bisnett, Nicholville, $26,000 n Town of Louisville:Parcels 1) 0.408 of an acre more or less, and 2) unknown acres, both bounded by state Route 521, James J. Hotte, Massena, sold to Anthony E. Ursillo Jr. and Clare P. Ursillo, Colton, $105,000 n City of Ogdensburg: Unknown acres, being a part of Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, in Block 4, Julie A. Kennedy, Ogdensburg, sold to James F. Bertrand and Denise Johnson-Bertrand, Ogdensburg, $40,000 n Town of Louisville: 57.59 acres more or less, bounded by state Route 37, William M. Brannen Jr. and Kimberly L. Brannen, Massena, sold to Fobare Lake Farms LLC, Waddington, $58,000 n Town of Oswegatchie: 2.945 acres more or less, bounded by state Route 37, Linda Beamish, Ontario, Canada, sold to Jingtian Ma, Ogdensburg, $40,000 n Town of Lisbon: 1 acre more or less, bounded by County Route 10, Knollwood Farm LLC, Lisbon, sold to Brian M. Simons, Ogdensburg, $54,000

Jan. 30

Lake Placid, sold to John P. and Nancy L. Sherman, Lisbon$95,000 n Town of Brasher: Parcels 1) 555/1000 of an acre more or less, 2) 5 95/100 acres more or less, 3) 71 34/100 acres more or less, 4) 37 24/100 acres more or less, 5) 1 2/100 acres more or less, and 6) 78 46/100 acres more or less, all bounded by Route 37C, Peter Samuel, Lincoln Park, N.J., sold to Daniel E. Clark and Edward W. Legacy, Malone $71,500

$2,471,485 County real estate sales recorded over 11-day period, Jan. 27-Feb. 6, 2012

Peebles Realty, Inc. Continues to Grow!

2011 was a successful year here at Peebles Realty thanks to our clients and customers. Karen Peebles has been serving her community for 13 years as a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson.

Three years ago she opened Peebles Realty, Inc., in Adams, NY and is the broker/owner. We are proud to announce the addition of our two newest members; Patrick Henry and Jessica Dorr, both of whom are Licensed Real Estate Salespeople. Lori Jo Williams will be coming aboard as soon as she passes her state exam scheduled March 6th.

Karen serves on a number of committees for the NYSAR, including Education Management, MLS Issues and Policies, Organizational Planning, Professional Standards, Second Home Resort and Global and serves as Vice-Chair of the Housing Opportunities Committee.

Since she became a member in 1999, she has served as secretary, vice president and presidentelect for the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors.

She was also elected president of the board for two consecutive terms.

In addition to her local board leadership roles, she has served as chair for its annual Red Cross blood drive for five years and was honored as the Realtor of the Year in 2005.

n Town of Gouverneur: 3.97 acres more or less, bounded by Johnstown Road, Alice S. Aiken, Watertown, sold to Bradley Laidlaw, Gouverneur $65,000

Karen has most recently received her e-PRO® Certification. This means that she has studied the latest in technology and social networking in order to serve our clients where they are now doing most of their searching – on the web.

n Town of Clifton: Unknown acres, known as Lots 26 and 27, bounded by Cranberry Lake, Jay D. and Mary Lea Edel, Emporium, Pa., sold to R. Dave and Choshee D. Murray, Springtown, Texas $465,000

At the state level, Peebles graduated from the 2009 class of the NYSAR Leadership Academy.

She has served on the Board of Directors since 2007.

n Town of Russell: 5.75 acres more or less, in Great Tract 3, bounded by St. Lawrence Turnpike, Ralph A. Grant, Russell, sold to Bruce A. and Kellie L. Maitland, DeKalb $82,500

Community action has been a big part of Karen’s life and this is reflected in her having been a Town Court Judge for 24 years.

We look forward to another year of helping our community and neighbors with their real estate needs.

Jan. 27

n Town of Lisbon: Parcels 1) 6.015 acres more or less, and 2) unknown acres, both parcels bounded by state Route 37, C. Joseph Collins,

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 33

20 questions

A higher (ed) calling I

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

n the nearly 18 years since she moved to the north country to begin a career in higher education finance, St. Lawrence University’s Kathryn L. Mullaney says she’s found her niche.

And at 60, Mrs. Mullaney shows no signs of slowing down, even after a successful 20-year career with G.E. that she left in the ’90s. She shares some highlights of her time in the corporate and education sectors.

1

NNYB: How does a young woman with a biology degree end up in finance?

MULLANEY: I had a liberal arts education, that’s how I ended up in finance. I ended up at work at G.E. as a temp right out of college. The reason I got a job at G.E. was because of a connection to Union. I had been assigned to G.E. as a temp and when my boss was talking to me one day he said, ‘What’s up with you?’ I said I graduated from Union and he identified with that. The rest was history. The liberal arts education teaches you how to speak well and use your analytical and communication skills. It’s prepares you to be an effective individual. That’s why it resonates here with me.

2

NNYB: How did you go from a corporate finance career at G.E. to a career in the education realm?

MULLANEY: I worked for G.E. for 20 years and ended up as a manager of finance until the aerospace business was sold to Martin Marietta. If the business had not been sold, I would still be with G.E. I loved that company. But Martin Marietta was run very differently. I started looking for an alternative. I looked for a long time within the corporate finance world and it was almost like going from the frying pan to the fire. It was the mid-1990s and it was very difficult, especially in the defense industry because it was consolidating. At the time I was on the board of trustees at Union College so I had one foot in the door in that industry. I started looking for a job in the Chronicle of Higher Education and just started applying to ads.

3

NNYB: What was the transition like after 20 years at G.E. going into academia?

MULLANEY: I worked in aerospace, it was all defense. I loved my job with G.E. but when I

34 |

NNY Business | March 2012

n After 20 years in corporate finance at G.E., SLU treasurer Kathryn Mullaney is at home

came here it became more emotionally as well as professionally satisfying. The only thing I had to adjust was the cycle of decision-making. It takes longer to make a decision here than it does in the corporate world. We have a collaborative decision-making process here. We don’t have an attitude like, ‘The president said it and that’s how it shall be,’ like in a corporation. We have to have the discussions and the collaboration to make sure from every perspective it makes sense.

Every decision has an impact.

4

NNYB: Did you have any concerns with making the switch in careers?

MULLANEY: One of the things I was worried about, a personal worry that never came to fruition, was that at G.E. all I had to do was call corporate and tell them how much money I needed to pay the bills. Here, we have to generate our own cash. There’s no bigger organization that is going to step in and fix anything that might not work here. We have the responsibility for the whole shooting match. When I worked at G.E. the finance managers moved quite often so you could see how other businesses did it and learn the best practices and improve every organization as you go. I never thought I would see myself staying in the same organization for 17 years. I love my job. Part of it is because I have responsibility for the whole thing, all the way from making sure we have enough money to make payroll to making the business decisions at the Best Western to the investments. It’s a very broadly defined position as compared to the compartmentalized G.E. That’s been a real pleasure.

5

NNYB: In 2010 there was restructuring after Thomas F. Coakley, then vice president of administrative operations, retired. You assumed responsibility of the bookstore and University Inn, what challenges did that present?

MULLANEY: The biggest challenge was not having Tom. He and I were two people on the senior staff that had a finance background. To have two

people on staff with that sense made a big difference. It was a professional collaboration that gave each of us a confidence in what we did.

6

NNYB: How many people do you manage?

MULLANEY: I am responsible for about 30 people. I oversee general accounting, investments, purchasing compliance, the bookstore and student financial services. It’s a big chunk of overall operations. In other universities financial officers often have auxiliary operations assigned to them.

We have that split so it’s a flat organization here.

The senior staff is relatively large. I think that’s a good model because it’s a collaborative organization. It could be easy to let everyone be in their own stove pipes but it’s essential to us to understand what is going on with each other’s organizations so that we can properly respond.

7

NNYB: The university relies on a strong network of alumni and there’s an emotional connection for alumni to the university. Has there been any significant challenges making that connection?

MULLANEY: The interconnectivity that St. Lawrence has is like no other. I am an alumna at Union and I thought we had a great network, but St. Lawrence supersedes that. Whether it’s finding an opportunity for a job or donating to the university, it’s remarkable. From a fundraising perspective it’s been hard. Our fundraising totals have dipped a little bit but participation remains strong. As we see the economy turn around the gifts are turning around, too.

8

NNYB: In your nearly 18 years here, you’ve been through many fluctuations in the economy, how does that impact operations? To what extent does the university rely on donors and alumni?

MULLANEY: I think the economic dips are actually a way that it magnifies the need for that strong connection to alumni. We have three sources of income, our students, our endowment and contributions from our alumni. Anywhere from 10 to 13 percent of revenues comes from donors. It’s

20 questions so different working for an institution like this; it is so different from working for a corporate institution that has quarterly goals for net income. Our objective is to be here for another 150 years. Our decisions are always looking at the long term. You have to make the short term work and provide the education our students expect, but with a balance of how we can continue to do this forever.

9

NNYB: What advice do you have for women who aspire to a position like yours or a leadership position in an organization?

MULLANEY: I think any advice I have is for anybody, man or women. Be yourself. You have to work hard and be prepared, but I think that the crucial element is to be yourself and to have integrity. You have to do the right thing for the organization. If you have integrity in the decision making process that will make a difference. You have to be ready to do what’s required, whether it’s relocating, taking advantage of training and educational opportunities. Networking is important, where you meet people and make connections.

It’s that networking and interconnections and being ready to do the job that makes a difference.

10

NNYB: What financial challenges does the university face with rising costs and having to increase tuition?

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

Kathryn L. Mullaney, St. Lawrence University’s vice president of finance and treasurer, in the university’s Vilas Hall.

MULLANEY: The biggest challenge is making decisions, making the right choices between activities. We have limited resources so we have to be careful to evaluate everything we want to do.

Everybody has great ideas and we have to make sure there is good financial planning with those ideas. The biggest things we’ve done differently are eliminating jobs and activities. We had to eliminate 50 jobs back in 2010 from across the university but mostly through attrition. We ended up with only six or eight people getting laid off.

We spent a year evaluating what positions we could eliminate and in that time we didn’t hire anybody so we were able to do a vast majority of that through attrition. We don’t add a position unless it has been fully vetted to the senior staff and rationalized. We don’t add an activity unless we go through that decision making process and eliminate something in the meantime, because there’s a finite level of resources.

12

NNYB: How do you defend decisions like raising tuition?

NNYB: What does the university do to help ensure student success with respect to having them succeed without having to stress about the cost?

11

MULLANEY: Our costs are going up just like everybody else’s costs are going up. In order for us to deliver the education that you expect a student to have, we need to continue with the programs we have and constantly add. Every time we add, we eliminate. So we try to make sure that the cost growth is relevant to how we want to deliver the education. Salaries go up, health care goes up.

Sixty percent of the costs of the university are the people. Our annual payroll is $60 million dollars of our $100 million operating budget. We have 787 employees and 2350 students. I get frustrated when people like President Obama say schools are becoming too expensive. If we were to significantly change our cost structure we would have to eliminate people. I don’t know how to deliver the education we deliver without the faculty in the classrooms and without the class sizes we have. We’re not an institution that has 500 students in a lecture hall. It’s the engagement with the students that’s so valuable.

NNYB: How has the financial aid climate changed?

MULLANEY: More than 80 percent of our students are receiving some kind of financial aid.

The average financial aid pays 40 percent of ticket price. There is more than $50 million distributed to our students. The climate is very, very hard.

It’s very complicated. The direct lending program, they’ve done a very good job with that. It’s made those loans a lot easier for students and families and for administration. Administering those loans is one of the responsibilities of my organization.

In the past it was very complicated dealing with banks all over the country. Having direct lending is much more efficient. The financial aid environment is no question expensive. The regulatory environment is tougher and it just makes it more difficult to do it right and to provide a way for families to afford St. Lawrence.

13

MULLANEY: We work closely with them before they arrive to make sure they understand what the cost is they have to pay and how to pay that.

We hope that the financial aid that they receive allows them to be able to afford to attend. If they don’t think they can afford to attend, we don’t want them to attend. It’s a tragedy if after two semesters you can’t come back because you can’t afford it. The balance between the financial resources the university provides and the family provides we have that figured out before they arrive. Then we work. Student Financial Services is working with students all the time to understand what their obligation is and how they can tap into resources outside of the university.

14

NNYB: How much of your student population is driven by transfers or by legacy students, who have a family connection to the university already established?

The Kathryn L. Mullaney file AGE: 60 JOB: Vice president for finance and treasurer, St. Lawrence University, Canton FAMILY: Husband, Brian, two children ages 26 and 24, and a granddaughter, 5.

HOMETOWN: Hannawa Falls EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in biology, Union College, Schenectady. Graduate of the General Electric financial management program.

PROFESSIONAL: Twenty years at General Electric, last as manager of finance for locations in Binghamton and Valley Forge. Eighteen years at St. Lawrence University in current position.

LAST BOOK READ: “Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back,” by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent.

MULLANEY: I would say only 20-25 students transfer into the university in a year. It’s usually academically driven. I don’t know the percentage of legacy students but it’s fairly high. We do pay attention to that. Those connections are huge. I went to Union as did my dad. I was a legacy student at Union so I understand the emotional connection with the place. But St. Lawrence has it hands down.

There are a lot of generations after generations of families, aunts, uncles, cousins and parents. It’s a pleasure because our students want to be here.

15

NNYB: St. Lawrence stepped up and opened doors during SUNY Canton’s recent fire. What is your partnership like with SUNY Canton and other local universities?

MULLANEY: It does take that external demonstration of support to send the message, but the relationship is there all the time. Through the Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Val-

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 35

20 questions ley, the CFOs meet all the time trying to work on things that benefit the four of us, ourselves, SUNY Canton, SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University.

The biggest activity we have collaborated on was bringing Premier Bus to town. We had one bus company for the longest time, Flack Tours, and we weren’t entirely happy with the service. Together we did a request for proposals and Premier Bus responded and we actually brought them to town.

They put their bus garage in Potsdam and they have seven or eight buses and service the four colleges. We always ask ourselves if we can do things together and get a better price or another company here to work with us effectively.

NNYB: Do you feel there are still barriers that

women face in the workplace?

16

MULLANEY: Yes. We had our board of trustees meeting this weekend and I saw a hint of it, but I was surprised by it. One of the trustees ignored what one of the women said. I was taken a back because it doesn’t happen that often. It’s still there. There is a significant contrast between SLU and Union and G.E. St. Lawrence has been co-ed since it was founded. What a difference that makes. When I went to Union, I was in the first class of women at Union. I joined the board of trustees at Union about five years after I graduated and I was one of only a couple of women in the room. At St. Lawrence, the first board meeting I talked to I saw all these women in the room and I thought to myself, I wonder why they allow

spouses in the meeting? That’s what I thought in my head because I was used to the board being all men. They’re trustees and they’re there in their own right. What a difference that makes.

17

NNYB: What were some challenges you faced early on?

MULLANEY: If you’re yourself and you have integrity you’ll do just fine whether you’re male or female. When you get to the echelon in an organization where the pyramid is getting smaller, that’s where the glass ceiling plays a role. At G.E. when you’re at the manger of finance level, that’s the first cut off I had interviewed for for years and never got it. My bosses didn’t understand it. One of my bosses said I must be blowing the interview. They got me an interview coach and adviser to coach me through the interview.

Maybe I was actually blowing the interview, but the next person I worked for wanted a woman on his staff so I think that had more to do with it. That was probably 25 years ago. I think it has gotten significantly better. You see women everywhere, but it’s still there.

18

NNYB: What special challenges do women today face?

MULLANEY: I think today it is more personal challenges than externally driven challenges.

How do you balance work and family? Do you want to be home with children? There are so many aspects of women’s lives that are different from their husbands. I think we’ve proven it isn’t easy to have it all. One of the reasons why I am in this job now is because the corporate job was less predictable. At SLU I have to work weekends, but I know what weekends I have to work. Board of trustees meetings are scheduled years out. It’s stable and reliable. My kids were ages 5 and 7 when we moved here so I got to see them a lot more than when I was at G.E. We expect ourselves to do more. We’ve had that role for forever.

19

NNYB: How do you successfully compartmentalize between work and family?

Accepting full truckloads of materials - sorted or the same!

MULLANEY: We live in Hannawa Falls, so it’s far enough away that when I get home I’m not thinking about work anymore. I’m thinking about home. Especially now with the kids out of the house on their own; I don’t have to worry about them anymore. My husband is the chef of the house so we sit down and have dinner and spend a couple hours together. He’ll do his thing and I’ll do my thing. My thing is often sitting with my laptop, going through my emails, scheduling things or answering emails. I usually end the day with a television program of some kind or another. I like the “Big Bang Theory.”

20

NNYB: What’s the best business advice you’ve ever followed?

MULLANEY: Make sure that you understand the deal. If you don’t have all the information than don’t make a decision until you know. Make sure you understand all aspects of a deal. ­ Interview by Ken Eysaman. Edited for length.

— Do you know someone who is a good candidate for 20 Questions? Email Editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net.

36 |

NNY Business | March 2012

Health A special supplement to NNY Business

Bridgette R. Gates Director, Watertown YMCA child care branch

The search for balance How to ‘do it all’ without overloading WEIGHT

loss strategy page 39

STRESS

management page 40

prioritize

selecting

page 41

page 42

for happiness

child care

WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Maintaining a sense of self

D

irector of the Watertown YMCA child-care branch Bridgette R. Gates spends most of her work days interacting with the children of other working professionals. She greets them by name as they walk through the hallway outside of her office and asks them how their days are. As a mother of two, she has become well versed in balancing her life and that of her children, whether at work or at home. She shares her way of keeping sane despite any hurdles, either personal or professional, that are thrown at her.

1

NNYB: How do you balance family, job and community activities?

GATES: I’ve worked at the YMCA since 2003 and, being a family organization, they are really supportive working with families, so my children have kind of grown up at my job. This makes it easy to balance my job and family.

My husband commutes almost two hours to and from work, so he’s out of the house quite a bit.

Being able to bring my kids to work is great, especially during school breaks. I am involved

n YMCA child-care director achieves ‘organized chaos’ for a balanced lifestyle with different community events and things with my children’s organizations, so I volunteer when I can. If it fits into the schedule with work and family, then I go for it. I think the key is to recognize when you are able to do multiple things and recognize when you can’t.

2

NNYB: What do you do when you feel overwhelmed and you hit overload?

GATES: I run. I do marathons and a lot of running. When I get really stressed, I just run. It’s good for me because I go all by myself and just think. I’m able to sort things out in my head and get centered again. I think we all need a way to decompress. If we don’t, things will fall apart. If we don’t have a way to regroup and reconnect with ourselves, we’ll continue to drop the ball.

It’s OK to admit that we feel overwhelmed, too.

We’re only human.

3

NNYB: How do you find “me” time?

Y and bring my children. But if my husband is home, he’ll take care of them so I can go alone. My kids recognize that I need time alone, too. I think it’s healthy that they see me go off and do something by myself. It shows them there is nothing wrong with spending time with one’s self, and that it can be advantageous.

4

NNYB: Do diet and exercise help you maintain a healthy frame of mind?

GATES: I think it’s huge that people exercise and it helps me mentally. It really does bring me back to a healthy frame of mind. Eating well is important, too, but I don’t always do that myself. I try, but I like my treats. I have coffee every day. I enjoy indulgence but I think there’s a balance, too. You have to know when not to indulge. I do the best that I can and I don’t beat myself up.

GATES: I try to get up early in the morning to run. If I can’t run in the morning, I go to the

Please see Gates, page 45

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NNY Business | March 2012

WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H

When losing weight, be realistic

n Ability to keep a healthy weight about knowing what works

By Joleene Des Rosiers

F

NNY Business

orget the word diet. Cross it out of the dictionary and ditch it from your vocabulary. This isn’t about losing weight to meet the rest of the world’s standards; it’s about maintaining a healthy weight that represents who you are.

Too often people — especially women — strive to sculpt themselves into an unrealistic body shape that causes unnecessary stress as they take in fewer calories than their bodies actually need.

The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that will have us believe a low-calorie diet (often between 1200 and 1500 hundred calories) is the only way to shed pounds.

While this will generate weight loss, what they don’t tell us is that we are actually semi-starving ourselves, setting in motion a pattern that can lead to binge eating, poor body image and other unhealthy patterns that push us into a cyclic diet frenzy that rarely produces lasting results.

“Losing weight beyond your natural weight is not a realistic goal,” said Dr. Mahreen Razzaq of River Community Clinic in Alexandria Bay. “Usually when women discuss their goal weight with me, they are actually talking about their ‘dream’ weight. That number is rarely a realistic, healthy weight.”

Cosette Witty-Lewis, a physician’s assistant and director of the Lewisville Family Health Center at Massena Memorial Hospital, agrees. Ms. Witty-Lewis says that eating more and eating regularly is a big key in losing weight.

“The average daily caloric consumption is 2,200 calories just to maintain weight,” she said. “There isn’t just one calorie count that works for everybody.

That’s why women need to come in and work out individualized plans with their personal doctors.”

What is a realistic, healthy weight?

How do you determine it? Ms. WittyLewis says charts and graphs don’t cater

“

to just one body type. Therefore, in order to find out what you true weight should be, you must take the time to speak with your doctor. Relying on the standard Body Mass Index chart can sometimes push people in the wrong direction when it comes to determining what their ideal weight should be.

“The Body Mass Index (or BMI) of

doesn’t lift weights. Why? Because muscle weighs more than fat,” Ms. Witty-Lewis said. “If that person were to adhere to the numbers on the chart, they would be misled into thinking they weighed too much and needed to lose weight when in fact, their weight is spot on.”

This begs the question what to eat and when to eat it? For starters, skipping meals is not the way to go.

Imagine your body as a furnace. To keep it burning, you need to continually feed it. When we skip meals or don’t eat at all, our metabolism slows down. The idea is to eat three regular or five small meals a day, starting with breakfast.

“The biggest issue I see is that people don’t consume enough

There isn’t just one calorie count that works for everybody. That’s why women need to work out individualized plans with their doctors.

— Cosette Witty-Lewis, director Lewisville Family Health Center

someone that works out and lifts weights is going to be higher than someone who

Please see Weight, page 44

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 39

WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H

Manage stress by accepting limits

By Joleene Des Rosiers

M NNY Business

ary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics once said: “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Isn’t it amazing how one day we can have everything in our life flowing beautifully and smoothly, and the next we find ourselves pulling our hair and screaming obscenities as we walk around completely frazzled and in a rut, with no idea as to how we got ourselves there?

Our stress level peaks, and before we know it, we hit overload. We have pushed ourselves beyond the brink and now lay there like a lump: Unavailable, unpredictable and unwilling to get up. The secret to pulling ourselves back together? Asking for help with a brisk walk on the side.

“When we can accept our own limitations, our own imperfections and shortcomings, I think we can be more successful, because then we can ask for help,” said Heather Saski, director of social work at Carthage Area Hospital. “Where we feel we lack, someone else we know maybe stronger in that area. Once we get over trying to do it all, that person can help us pick up the ball and run again.”

This leads to another stress buster: Exercise. Exercise can improve self-esteem, which can allow us to see where we excel and where we do not. This allows us to drop the fear and ask for help in many areas of our lives. Our bodies release chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Heather Saski, director of social work at Carthage Area Hospital, handles stress management for the working woman as part of her duties.

interact with receptors in the brain that can reduce our perception of pain. They also trigger a positive feeling in the body, giving a feeling of euphoria after a good walk, run or Zumba class. Exercise is essential for mental clarity and like it or not, it’s time to get moving.

“I recommend exercise for stress management all the time,” said Cosette WittyLewis, director of the Lewisville Family Health Center at Massena Memorial Hospital. “People with anxiety disorders and even physical ailments should exercise to overcome them. Exercise increases endorphin production, which gives us

Please see Stress, page 44

Top five stress busters Take control: Don’t tell yourself the problem can’t be fixed. Loss of control only adds to stress. The act of taking control is empowering and enables us to overcome obstacles.

‘Me’ time: Block out time to spend doing things you enjoy. Exercise is key.

Work smarter, not harder: Time management can solve many problems. Recognize that you can’t do it all in one day.

Remain positive: We get some real curve balls thrown our way sometimes. Keep your head up and remember that this, too, shall pass.

Accept WHAT you cannot change: Learn how to go with the flow, not against it.

When issues arise, stop and re-evaluate.

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NNY Business | March 2012

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WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H

Imbalance a challenge for women

By Joleene Des Rosiers

Tips to balance your life

ou get up. You get the kids ready. Some mothers even make lunches for the entire family, moving around the kitchen with ease and grace as you glide quickly from refrigerator to counter without ever stepping on the dog even once.

Then you drop the kids off at school or daycare and zip off to work, pulling into the parking lot with just a few minutes to spare. You make it to your desk without incident, thinking you’ve started the day beautifully once again, only to realize when you sit down that you forgot your lunch, forgot to grab your shoes and can’t even remember if you brushed your teeth.

Not to mention the project you thought was due next Tuesday is actually supposed to be submitted this Tuesday.

Panic sets in and the next thing you know, you’re a blubbering mess. This whirlwind of chaos is a sign that you’ve become unbalanced; and an even bigger sign that you need to do something to get back on track.

“I think this imbalance, by far, is the most challenging thing that women face, especially those of us that have children,” said Dr. Mahreen Razzaq, a physician at the River Community Clinic at River Hospital in Alexandria Bay. “Organization is the answer. You can waste a lot of time if you’re not organized.”

Even if we think we’re already on top of our game, Dr. Razzaq suggests finding a new way to organize and prioritize.

Prioritize: What is most important? Family? Work? Put what is most important before anything else.

Y

NNY Business

Preplan: Write out what needs to be done the day before, the week before or even the month before.

Schedule: Use a smartphone or calendar to keep track of events and appointments. Use reminders to stay on top of what’s going on.

Time: Create a time study for a week or more. Discover pockets of time that can be better filled with family time and time for you.

Delegate: Dole out tasks to others, like family, friends and co-workers.

She recommends using a calendar or smartphone to keep our appointments and obligations in order. Clearly, if we’re stumbling through our days unbalanced, our current method of organization needs to be reassessed.

Heather Saski, director of social work at Carthage Area Hospital, suggests a time study: a method of recording daily events and the time it takes for each one in an effort to better align your time.

“It’s about looking at your situation and constantly reassessing your priorities,” said Ms. Saski. “I always recommend my patients do a time study for a week, or even two weeks. This allows them to actually track their time to see where and what they’re spending time on. The objective is to move time blocks around so you can spend more time with your family, and even make more time for yourself.“ Start with the moment you wake up. Can those lunches be made in the evening? Can you enlist someone else’s

help when it comes time to prepare them?

Keep moving through the day and write down where you are and how long you’re there. Can you do a working lunch and use your scheduled half-hour to walk around the block with a co-worker?

Exercise releases “feel good” endorphins, which actually alleviate stress.

Are there co-workers that you can enlist to help you with projects? Trying to go it alone can only add to the imbalance.

Are there appointments you need to get to during the day? What do you do when you get home? Are you still trying to get work done while you plan dinner? Who helps the kids with homework? Can an older child or your spouse take on this role? All of these questions can be answered and your time spent better with a simple time study evaluation.

“Allow for extra time, too, in case an appointment goes over or you’re running late,” suggested Dr. Razzaq. “Things don’t always go the way we plan. So leave little pockets of time open for these instances. If you’re not using a calendar or smartphone to help organize, you should really consider one. It makes balance all that much easier.”

Finding these open pockets to fill with quality time with children or a spouse can make all the difference in the world when it comes to balance. Tipping the scales too much to one side can create stress, keep you from remembering to brush your teeth in the morning.

Make the decision to reorganize today and watch how the scales come tipping back in your favor.

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March 2012 | NNY Business

| 41

WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H

Seeking child-care? Ask questions. n Finding a proper care provider takes time and effort

By Joleene Des Rosiers

L

NNY Business

eaving children with a childcare provider can be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences for any mother. While it’s an essential part of managing a career, for many finding the right provider is an agonizing process.

Cathy Brodeur is director of the Jefferson-Lewis Childcare Project with the Community Action Planning Council, Watertown. It helps families find the right provider while teaching them the dynamics of child-care.

“We have referral counselors who meet with parents to explain what they should look for and think about before choosing a provider,” Ms. Brodeur said. “For some people it means a center, for others it means within someone’s home.”

Ms. Brodeur said parents should be prepared to ask several important questions. Among them: What is the provider’s education?

What hours does the facility or provider keep? What does the facility or home look like? Will the child spend any time outside? What meals will be provided?

“

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Cathy Brodeur is director of the Jefferson-Lewis Childcare Project with the Community Action Planning Council. The project helps parents find suitable child-care options for their families.

“The more questions we ask, the more we learn. It helps us make the appropriate

Taking a good look at a facility eases many fears that surround placing a child, she said.

“Parents should tour the facility before signing up. They should be comfortable in it and ask as many questions as they can with respect to care,” Mrs. Gates said. “It should be convenient and close to home, too.

Popping in to see how the kids are doing at some point during the day is never a bad idea.”

Few would disagree that balancing a job with child-care is challenging.

“Between the finance and the worry, there’s a lot to it,” Ms. Brodeur said. “We review financial options with parents, including a subsidy program that helps families pay for child-care,” depending on federal income guidelines.

“Too often people search the Internet for the cheapest child-care in the county, but it might not be the best choice in the long run.”

In New York State, an average of 20 to 22 percent of household income goes to

Too often people search the Internet for the cheapest child-care in the county, but it might not be the best choice in the long run.

— Cathy Brodeur, director Jefferson-Lewis Childcare Project

decision,” Ms. Brodeur said.

Bridgette R. Gates, Watertown YMCA child-care branch director, agrees.

Please see Children, page 44 42 |

NNY Business | March 2012

WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H

‘Doing it all’ could lead to overload

By Joleene Des Rosiers

W NNY Business

e cook, we clean, we parent and we supervise.

After that we cook some more, we go for a run, we stop at the store and we parent again. Somewhere in between we field calls from work and console a friend.

We continue this cycle day in and day out, attempting to do it all and shine like a diamond at the same time. We don’t want to get dull and we don’t want to slow down.

It’s programmed within us to multi-task and single-handedly take on the world.

There is nothing wrong with this sometimes — difficult balancing act, but can you do it without losing sight of what really matters?

Dr. Mahreen Razzaq of the River Community Clinic at River Hospital, Alexandria Bay, specializes in family medicine.

She sees women every day that are holding the entire world carefully in the palm of their hand, but one bump in the road can send that world flying, leaving them feeling helpless or lost.

“We get overloaded sometimes, but women are really good at multi-tasking,” she said. “So on those days when it’s too much, we have to give ourselves permission to slow down and make time for ourselves. Scented candles, nice music, even a hot bath can pull us back together.”

It’s the little things that keep us on task.

An hour with ourselves just the way we choose is like magic potion. Too often we don’t make time for ourselves. That’s when we become overwhelmed and sometimes depressed. Because we like to walk with our heads high, we ignore that depression. This results in a downward spiral that can leave us lost for a long time and fighting for normalcy.

“Mental health is not something you can just ignore,” said Dr. Mariam H. Asar, psychiatrist at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Potsdam. “Depression is just like having high blood pressure, hypertension or diabetes. It happens and it can just as easily be controlled and managed. You just have to be willing to acknowledge that it’s there and get the right help.”

Dr. Asar said many women don’t want

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

Dr. Mariam H. Asar, a psychiatrist at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Potsdam, said that mental health is not something to be ignored. Depression is something that can be managed and controlled.

to admit they have a problem. But if they don’t admit it and continue to try and do it all, they may soon find themselves losing sight of what is most important of all — themselves. Self-love is the least appreciated form of healing.

“You need to be on your feet if you want to help someone else,” she said. “If you drag yourself down, you won’t be in a situation to help anybody else. I tell my patients that if you’re standing up, you can easily pull someone up off the floor. If you’re not standing yourself, you can’t do anything, no matter how hard you try.”

Find the moments made just for you.

Dr. Razzaq recommends drinking green tea in the evening. That, incorporated with a quiet, semi-dark room, can bring us back full circle to where we need to be.

Even if it’s as little as three minutes, take the time to shut the brain down and don’t think about anything. Our minds can be so full sometimes, with deadlines and family obligations and decisions that still need to be resolved.

It’s vital to take time to come back to who we are and reevaluate. We can shine like diamonds, but we’re much more beautiful when we love what we’re actually made of.

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March 2012 | NNY Business

| 43

WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H Weight, from page 39 calories,” Ms. Witty-Lewis said. “Studies have proven time and time again that individuals that eat three meals a day tend to be thinner. Those that skip breakfast tend to be heavier. This is because they don’t spread their calories throughout the day to keep the furnace burning. Many of my patients that are overweight only eat one or two meals a day.”

Finally, you can’t drop or maintain weight without exercise. Dr. Razzaq recommends some sort of physical activity three to five times a week, 30 minutes each session. Walking, Zumba, strength training or running are all good ways to stay physically fit. Even cleaning your house and tending to the garden count as physical activity. The bottom line is that there is no quick fix when it comes to dropping pounds. Everything takes time, and when it comes to a lifestyle change, the same rules apply.

STRESS from page 40 that sense of well-being.”

So how does a woman with a full-time job, children and several other obligations manage to find time to exercise and ask for help?

“By recognizing that there is no way we can do it all,” Ms. Saski said. “It’s the

CHILDREN, from page 42 child-care. That’s why the YMCA also offers financial aid through scholarships and accepts both social service and military subsidies.

“We want a safe place for our children,” Mrs. Gates said. “At the same time, we want to know that the people looking after them are setting a good example. We

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Dr. Mahreen Razzaq, a physician at River Community Clinic in Alexandria Bay, said that being a natural, healthy weight is what everyone’s goal should be, any thinner is unrealistic.

unrealistic demands we set on ourselves that tend to overwhelm us. We have to be willing to ask our family or friends to pitch in, whether it be with household chores or child care duties. Ask a neighbor to get our kids off the bus one or two days a week. Ask your spouse to take charge of at least one or two chores regularly. Find something to pass on and pass it on. Al-

leviating just one chore can help a lot.”

Ms. Saski also recommends stringing chores out through the week. Don’t try and tackle the cleaning and the laundry all in one day. Do pieces of it throughout the week, and don’t be afraid to delegate chores to others, even the children. Take the time to get back to being you, and the rest will fall quietly into place.

don’t want a substitute, but someone who will instill in our children good values that we, as parents, can agree on. We need to know that our children are having fun, too. No shortcuts should be taken when it comes to our kids.”

The YMCA offers after-school programs in nine different school districts throughout Jefferson County, and in southern St. Lawrence County in Gouverneur. Pro-

grams keep children busy with homework time, crafts and active play until 6 p.m.

The day care facility on Washington Street in Watertown opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m., and caters to infants 6 weeks old to kindergarten-aged children.

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NNY Business | March 2012

About the author JOLEENE DES ROSIERS is a freelance writer transformational speaker and author who lives in Pulaski with her husband and daughter. She is a former television reporter for YNN, NBC 3 WSTM in Syracuse and ABC NewsWatch 50 in Watertown. Contact her at myddes@hotmail.com.

WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H Gates, from page 38

5

NNYB: How do you achieve personal fulfillment?

GATES: It’s a combination of everything. I don’t think there’s any one thing that fulfills a person.

I know that if I didn’t work, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I have to have a bit of organized chaos in my life. I need a challenge.

A variety of things and events move me forward and encourage me to get things done. This gives me a sense of well-being because I’m taking care of business, whether it’s with my family, my job or me.

6

NNYB: How do you know when enough is enough?

GATES: I don’t think I do. I really don’t. I think I would get bored if I didn’t have something to do. I think if you get to the breaking point where you either want to cry or your kids say, ‘I haven’t seen you in a while, can I just give you a hug today?’ then you know it’s enough. My children often bring me back to where I need to be. If they have to ask for my time, I clearly recognize at that point that I’m trying to do too much.

7

NNYB: Is it hard to say no when there’s just too much going on?

GATES: It is difficult, but I think it’s necessary.

You can’t be all things to everybody all the time.

My priority and my sense of obligation first and foremost are to my kids. I think if something is going to put a person’s happiness or what I’m doing with them at stake, then there is no question, I have to say no. If I have to be at a performance or take them to music lessons and therefore can’t be what or where someone else wants me to be, I have to let that someone know. My children are my priority. It keeps me somewhat sane.

8

NNYB: Who or what inspires you and why?

GATES: Many people do. Anyone who overcomes great adversity is an inspiration to me.

I think people who have health-related issues but overcome and persevere should be highly commended. My mother went through a difficult divorce and dealt with multiple things that were challenging for her when I was younger, and I never knew about them until I was an adult. Because I didn’t know what she was going through and she was able to raise my brother and me as happy children, I can’t help but admire her strength. Single parents should be admired.

Raising children alone can be extremely hard.

So people who overcome adversity and succeed no matter the circumstance truly inspire me.

9

NNYB: Do you have a book you would recommend to women like you?

GATES: “I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression” by Erma Bombeck. I love this book.

It is a little outdated, but I think all women can appreciate the humor in it. It’s a very funny, but honest, look at the dynamics involved in a busy family life. Erma worked from home, but she still was a working mother trying to keep her family and household together while balancing a career. I think most women can appreciate this because the basic undertone holds true; all families

across generations have the same challenges in day-to-day life and the same hopes and dreams for their children. It also is sprinkled with humor that surrounds daily life and how people interact with one another. I think it can help busy moms learn to not take the little things too seriously, and to find humor in otherwise trying situations.

We need to remember what might seem to be the most important or impossible thing today might not even be remembered five years from now, but family relationships will.

10

NNYB: What’s the secret to your success?

crazy because if you let yourself think too much you would explode. It will wear you down.

Take time limits, for example. If all of my laundry isn’t done or the house isn’t super clean, if I don’t get my kids somewhere on time, it’s OK. When I first started my job I thought I always had to have all the right answers and have everything perfect and in place. As I’ve gotten older and grown with the job I realized I don’t have to be perfect. I think anyone can be successful if they don’t take themselves too seriously and have a more realistic point of view as to what’s really going on.

GATES: Honestly? Knowing that I’m a little crazy and owning it. I think most moms have to be

— Interview by Joleene Des Rosiers.

Edited for length and clarity.

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46 |

NNY Business | March 2012

b u s i n e s s law

Check signors at risk under old law

I

n May 2011, a New York City court ruled that a signor of a company’s check for payment of goods was personally liable on the check when it was returned for insufficient funds. The ruling in B.B. Jewels Inc. v. Newman Enterprises Inc. and Rozeta Newman is consistent with several other courts, which have entertained this issue.

The facts in the case show that Ms. Newman signed the check on behalf of Newman Enterprises, Inc., when it bought goods from B.B. Jewels Inc., the check’s payee. The $62,800 check was returned to the payee because the account was closed. Eventually, payments were made which reduced the judgment to $52,800.

What makes this case so interesting is that the court held Ms. Newman personally liable on the instrument even though she argued that she was signing the check on behalf of the corporation. The error that Ms. Newman committed was not indicating on the check that she was signing it in a representative capacity.

New York law has a quirky provision that renders signors of company checks personally liable in certain circumstances.

Worse yet, most people who sign checks on behalf of companies aren’t even aware of this provision. Liability of check signors is found in New York’s Uniform Commercial Code. This law was passed in 1964 along with other key provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code. Unfortunately, while most states — if not all other states — have updated their commercial law, which would have changed the result for Ms. Newman; New York has not.

New York still retains the antiquated 1964 statutory language.

A paragraph in section 3-403 of New York’s Uniform Commercial Code pro-

vides that “… as otherwise established between the immediate parties, (the signor) of the check is personally obligated if the check names the person represented but does Larry Covell not show that the representative signed in a representative capacity, or if the check does not name the person represented but does show that the representative signed in a representative capacity.”

It is this section of the law that creates liability for someone who signs a company check with insufficient funds. In most instances, a pre-printed check identifies the company name and address (the person represented), but when a person signs the check, they usually do not specify a job title (the representative capacity) and this confusion creates the possibly of personal liability. All is not lost, the law does provide for a narrow exception of personal liability for the signor.

The exception to personal liability of a signor of a company check which later is returned for insufficient funds is created by “… as otherwise established …” language of the statute.

New York courts have held that a signor must prove the existence of a prior agreement, understanding or course of dealing that shows the payee understood the signor was not bound on the check. In most cases, the signor can’t prove the existence of a prior agreement, understanding or

course of dealing with the payee and, as a result, the signor incurs personal liability.

The courts will not accept the signor’s testimony that they signed in representative capacity and should not be bound on the check since it is considered self-serving.

Another paragraph of section 3-403 provides a method for a signor to indicate that they are signing in a representative capacity and thus avoid personal liability in the event the check is returned for insufficient funds. The statute provides that the signor must show “… the name of the organization preceded or followed by the name and office of the authorized individual is a signature in a representative capacity.” The statute essentially states that if an employee is an authorized signor of company checks, then the company’s name may precede or follow the employee’s name. Second, the employee must indicate their job title. It is sufficient to hand-write all of this information.

In the alternative, since most checks today are pre-printed and specify the company’s name and address, the employee, when signing the check, must also write their job title. Using this method, the signor is compliant with the statutory requirement by indicating the person represented (company’s name on the pre-printed check) and the representative capacity (employee’s signature followed by their job title).

Since signature liability is a complicated legal matter, this article covers most of the major points. If you have concerns about your personal liability, you should consult your attorney. n Larry covell is a professor of business at SUNY Jefferson and an attorney. Contact him at lcovell@sunyjefferson.edu. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 47

C o mmerce c o r n er

Maintain balance to combat stress

S

tress is a major hurdle for many people — a hectic, nerve-wracking job, a chaotic home life, bills to worry about, bad habits such as unhealthy eating, poor lifestyle practices and an inability to cope with things can lead to a mountain of stress.

Recently I was reading an article about working women with and without children and it engrossed me. The report cited a long-term study that indicated “mothers who have jobs are healthier than those who are not employed, at least when their children are very young.” Results were based on interviews starting in 1991 with 1,364 mothers from Arkansas, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Researchers interviewed women throughout their children’s infancy, preschool years and into elementary school.

Working mothers in the study were less depressed and reported better overall health than mothers who stayed at home with their young children, though the benefit of working did not extend into school years.

So as I read on, and the study listed one statistic to another, I realized that as a woman, child bearing or not, you must take care of yourself. There is stress all around us, whether it is our children, our families, friends, loved ones, our job or everyday life. Find strength and positivity in all that surrounds you. Do not make excuses — make solutions.

Even worse is we are told the most balanced and beneficial exercise rou-

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NNY Business | March 2012

tine is one that combines aerobic activity, strength training and flexibility. It is truly enough to make a person throw up their hands and say, “I give up; I just don’t know Lynn Pietroski what to do.”

We are constantly bombarded with this study and that study.

If you knew one simple thing could improve your health, would you do it?

When you laugh, you learn. Yes, heart health can be fun.

In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have to worry about money for college, let alone the rent or mortgage payment. We would waltz out of our glamorous, well-paid jobs, zip to the gym for an hour with a personal trainer and then breeze home to a gourmet dinner prepared by our loving family members.

Be objective in choosing which tasks to undertake. If one of your major life goals is stress-free living, or at least minimizing your stress, the tasks you choose to accept and those you choose to decline should reflect that goal. Learn that it is OK to say no to those demands that do not support your self-defined purpose in life. Cultivate an ability to say “no” gracefully.

Even after you decide that a particular demand is not aligned with your major goals, there still is likely to be stress associated with declining the demand. You

might feel compassion toward the person who makes the demand. Your upbringing may cause you to feel guilty about choosing not to do what others ask of you. And, the actual act of saying no could cause embarrassment or fear.

At a reasonable level, stress is something that challenges us and helps us grow. How you deal with stress is the ruse. The trick to healthy living is making small changes — taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water — these are just a few ways you can start living healthy without drastic changes.

I discovered a simple list to live by: 1. Do the best you can, whatever arises.

2. Be at peace with yourself.

3. Find a job you enjoy.

4. Live simply.

5. Contact nature every day; feel the earth under your feet.

6. Don’t worry; live one day at a time.

7. Share something every day with someone else.

8. Take time to wonder at life and the world.

9. Observe the one life in all things.

10. See some humor in life where you can.

As American humorist and author Mark Twain once said: “Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” He was right. Laughter has a lot of health benefits, too.

n Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at ceo@watertownny. com. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

A gr i - b u s i n e s s

A piece of advice for today’s youth

I

want my 10-year-old son to grow up to be a successful, happy contributor to our society, with firm beliefs in his faith, family, country and service to others. I’m doing everything I can, like most parents, to expose him to the programs and opportunities that provide the foundation needed to achieve this. So how do I help him achieve this? And why am I writing this column in a business magazine?

Part of his happiness and success will be achieved by how he chooses his career path and develops skills that allow for growth on his path. One important skill that a student can learn, besides the basic core areas of study, is leadership. I’ve watched and learned in the nearly 24 years since I graduated from college that building your ability to lead reaps tremendous benefits at home, career and as part of your community. Those benefits are for individuals and also for those around you. Having good leadership skills can help you succeed in business.

How do you learn good leadership skills in high school?

Leadership is built mostly through experience. Especially in high school, you probably won’t find a good course on leadership. There are varieties of opportunities to explore, but two of the best I’ve seen, and participated in neither, unfortunately, is scouting and FFA (once called Future Farmers of America).

I was a student athlete and never had the chance to participate in scouts or FFA, although I wish I had. I wasn’t aware of what Boy Scouts of America was about and didn’t know if a local troop existed.

Oswego High School didn’t have an agricultural program or FFA. These two programs provide a fantastic way to learn and develop leadership skills.

We are fortuJay Matteson nate in Jefferson County that five of our high schools offer agricultural programming and FFA. South Jefferson, Belleville Henderson, Carthage, Indian River and Alexandria Bay offer FFA and there are another nine FFA chapters within a 50-mile radius of Watertown.

The five schools have approximately 500 students enrolled in agricultural programs and FFA. Today, there are 540,379 FFA members, ages 12 to 21, in 7,489 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The largest FFA chapter in New York is in New York City.

Yes, New York City has the largest FFA chapter in the state. You see, FFA is about learning and developing skills, including leadership, using agriculture as the foundation. In the city, horticulture is a huge industry. Suffolk County, just outside the city, usually leads the state in agricultural product revenue because of the demand for horticultural products.

The FFA is not just for students who grow up on a farm and want to go back to run the farm one day. I’ve noticed that entrepreneurial development, something our economy sorely needs, is alive and well in

FFA. Every year, William Stowell, agricultural teacher and FFA adviser at South Jeff High School, invites me into his classroom to meet students who are developing business plans. At first, my expectation was that the business plans would be based on some common business and everyone would offer their own variation to the generic business. In many cases, I found that these students were actually serious about trying to develop these businesses, now or in the near future. From raising chickens to selling eggs to neighbors to making custom designer covers for equestrian riding helmets, these were real projects developed by the students with some intending to make them a reality.

It is leadership development I’ve noticed most from the FFA. Charles “Chuck” Eastman, past president of Jefferson County Farm Bureau, participated in the Belleville Henderson FFA chapter. Mr. Eastman said FFA was among the best activities to be involved with. Competitions, public speaking events, participating on the ag forum team and serving as chapter treasurer each were important in building his leadership skills. Mr. Eastman and his two brothers own a 1,000-cow dairy operation that employs about 20 people.

So son, work hard and earn good grades, but also take advantage of programs like scouts and FFA to build skills you don’t necessarily get in a classroom. n Jay M. Matteson is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident who lives in Lorraine. Contact him at coordinator@comefarmwithus.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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March 2012 | NNY Business

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BUSIN E SS T E C H BY T E S

Young women future of tech field

I

nformation technology spending is projected to increase 6.9 percent to $1.8 trillion this year, and 20 percent of that spending will continue to go to mobile and social technologies. This will cause significant management and security headaches as these trends continue to reshape the IT industry. One of the greatest new challenges to enterprises large and small is trying to make sense of an ever growing, new found abundance of free flowing customer data.

As companies continue to learn how to balance these technical challenges, with the new opportunities they present, businesses will also be struggling with the shortage of skilled workers. The IT job market was predicted to increase 12 percent in 2011 and expected to stay strong throughout 2012. The IT unemployment rate should hover around 4 percent, well below the national average. Technical professionals with highly demanded skills like virtualization and cloud computing, mobile application development or business analytical experience will not have a problem finding a job and women could have a distinct advantage.

Audrey McLean, CEO of Adaptive, said “I believe, despite data on the dearth of women in technology, tech doesn’t have a barrier up to women. In fact, if anything, women who are technically prepared have an advantage and if more women prepared themselves academically for tech jobs, they’d get hired.” She continued by saying, “Career opportunities

will be greater in tech and if women don’t get the required technical skills they won’t be positioned to move into core, general management roles.”

Harvard BusiJill Van Hoesen ness Review’s Athena Factor project shows that woman are actually excelling in technology and gaining some distance on their career paths. The research shows that between the ages of 25 and 30 about 41 percent of the young tech talent is female. Attrition spikes between

gy degree or want to enter the technology career field. The Athena Factor further reports that women across most industries, not just tech, will often take a break from their career path. Though many women will try to get back into the industry they most recently left. In the tech field, only about 60 percent of women will try and return to the IT workplace.

Mentoring and its importance to women in technology jobs has been the topic of countless research. It has been observed that a mentor plays one of the most important roles in a woman’s successful technology career. Sheila Flavell, COO of FDM Group, believes that the technique is especially relevant for women working in the IT field.

“Currently, the industry remains largely male-dominated and the prospect of operating within a distinct minority, coupled with the fact that there is an even greater lack of women in senior positions, often deters women from this lucrative industry,” she said. “I believe that female mentorship could become an incredibly useful tool for creating and sustaining a strong female workforce in the IT industry.”

We need to start early, pairing mentors with young talent to map career paths, ensuring insulation from isolation and developing healthy work-life balances.

Research shows that between the ages of 25 and 30 about 41 percent of young tech talent is female.

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NNY Business | March 2012

35 and 40 and throughout the next decade it is predicted that nearly 50 percent of women who have aspired to technology careers, plan to retire. Unless a strong supply of replacements is recruited now, a further decline in the representation of women in technology from a mere 37 percent of technology leaders today to less than 25 percent is expected.

The Computerworld article “Why Women Quit Technology Careers” states that a small and sadly declining percentage of women want to pursue a technolo-

n Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net.

Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

S M A L L BUSIN E SS SU C C E SS

Government contracts open doors

T

here’s been a lot of attention paid lately by the federal and state government to the fact that women-owned businesses in certain eligible industries need expanded opportunities to bid on government contracts. Both the U.S. Small Business Administration and New York State’s Empire State Development’s Division of Minority and Women Business Development offer certifications that can help these businesses receive a more equitable share of government contracts.

One of the first examples of a womanowned business obtaining a government contract might be Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross.

Her story is an amazing one. Born in 1821 in Massachusetts, she was first employed as a teacher before she founded her own school. That is, until the board voted to replace her with a man. She later worked as a patent clerk in Washington, D.C., reportedly the first time a woman had received a substantial clerkship in the federal government and at a salary equal to a man’s salary. Unfortunately, due to political considerations, she was demoted to a copyist job.

At the onset of the Civil War, while still living and working in Washington, she was compelled to help wounded soldiers as they began to pour into the capital and were housed in the U.S. Senate building. Using all the organizational skills at her disposal, she formed the Red Cross to gather medical supplies and food and to provide comfort and nursing care to the wounded and dying. From the Army she obtained passes to travel and bring

needed supplies to the front lines. Her agency helped bring comfort to hundreds of soldiers and their families.

In the decades after the war, she became involved in the Sarah O’Connell International Red Cross effort and received awards and medals from governments around the world. She finally retired in 1904 at the age of 71.

According to the website of the American Red Cross, “the relationship between the American Red Cross and the federal government is unique.” While it is a nonprofit entity and not a federal agency, it does operate under a special federal charter, first established in 1900 and since revised, and the organization has specific responsibilities delegated to it by the federal government.

The Red Cross does not get regular federal funding. It is supported mainly by donations from the public and from some of its services such as providing blood products and health and safety trainings.

However, as its website notes, “under limited circumstances, it sometimes seeks appropriations for certain programs when the funding requirements are beyond that supported by the charitable public. At times, federal and state government agencies also contract with the Red Cross and provide material aid

and assistance to support the Red Cross in fulfillment of specific instances of its charter obligations.”

We’ve all seen those times, such as after Hurricane Katrina, when available resources have been overwhelmed by the needs of people dealing with disasters.

In the century and a half since the Red Cross was established, women entrepreneurs across the country have launched businesses that provide valuable products and services for government agencies.

From running their own contracting companies, to offering cleaning services, to manufacturing gun-cleaning kits to the military, as our own Doreen Garrett of Otis Technology in Lyons Falls does.

Business owners — women and men — interested in making valuable connections for government contracting opportunities with national, regional and local prime contractors and federal, state and local government agencies should attend our “Selling to the Government Matchmaking Event 2012” from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at Jefferson Community College. Admission is $45 before Wednesday, March 21. Preregistration is required.

Contact the New York State Small Business Development Center, 782-9262 or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu to learn more.

Advisers also are available to help women-owned businesses with the certification process. n Sarah O’Connell is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College. She is a former small business owner and lifelong Northern New York resident. Contact her at soconnell@sunyjefferson.edu. Her column appears bi-monthly in NNY Business.

March 2012 | NNY Business

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chambeR / WEB directory

NNY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE  Alexandria Bay

7 Market St., Alexandria Bay, NY 13607; 482-9531, www.visitalexbay.org

 Boonville

122 Main St., P.O. Box 163, Boonville, NY 13309; 942-6823, www.boonvillechamber.com

 CaNTON

60 Main St., P.O. Box 369, Canton, NY 13617; 386-8255, www.cantonnychamber.org

 Cape Vincent

649-3404, www.chaumontchamber.com

393-3620, www.ogdensburgny.com

 Clayton

 Old Forge

 Greater WatertownNorth Country

 Potsdam

517 Riverside Drive, Clayton, NY 13624; 686-3771, www.1000islands-clayton.com

1241 Coffeen St., Watertown, NY 13601; 788-4400, www.watertownny.com

 Gouverneur

 Henderson Harbor

 Sackets Harbor

P.O. Box 468, Henderson Harbor, NY 13651; 938-5568, www.hendersonharborny.com

 Carthage Area

 Massena

572 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202; 470-1800, www.centerstateceo.com

 Chaumont-Three Mile Bay

P.O. Box 24, Three Mile Bay, NY 13693;

BIZ Web DIRECTORY CITEC Manufacturing & Technology Solutions www.citec.org

Clarkson University Center for Entrepreneurship www.helpmysmallbusinesstoday.com www.facebook.com/CUEntrepCtr www.twitter.com/CUEntrepCtr

Development Authority of the North Country www.danc.org

Lewis County Industrial Development Agency

 Pulaski

3044 Route 13, P.O. Box 34, Pulaski, NY 13142; 298-2213, www.pulaskinychamber.com

 Lewis County

 Centerstate CEO

1 Market St., Potsdam, NY 13676; 274-9000, www.potsdamchamber.com

214 E. Main St., Gouverneur, NY 13642; 287-0331, www.gouverneurchamber.net

175 N. James St., P.O. Box 482, Cape Vincent, NY 13618; 654-2481, www.capevincent.org 120 S. Mechanic St., Carthage, NY 13619; 493-3590, www.carthageny.com

3140 Route 28, P.O. Box 68, Old Forge, NY 13420; 369-6983, www.oldforgeny.com

7576 S. State St., Lowville, NY 13367; 376-2213, www.lewiscountychamber.org 50 Main St., Massena, NY 13662; 7693525, www.massenachamber.com

 Malone

497 East Main St., Malone, NY 12953; 1(518) 483-3760, www.visitmalone.com

 Ogdensburg

1 Bridge Plaza, Ogdensburg, NY 13669;

304 W. Main St., P.O. Box 17, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685; 646-1700, www. sacketsharborchamberofcommerce.com

 South Jefferson

14 E. Church St., Adams, NY 13605; 232-4215, www.southjeffchamber.org

 St. Lawrence

101 Main St., First Floor, Canton, NY 13617; 386-4000, www.northcountryguide.com

 Tri-Town

907 Route 11 C, P.O. Box 297, Brasher Falls, NY 13613; 389-4800, www.tritownchamberofcommerce.com

Jefferson County Job Development Corp.

St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency

Procurement Technical Assistance Center

U.S. Small Business Administration

www.jcjdc.net

www.northcountryptac.com

Small Business Development Center at SUNY jefferson

www.slrvra.com

www.sba.gov www.facebook.com/SBAAtlantic www.twitter.com/SBAAtlantic

www.watertown.nyssbdc.org www.facebook.com/WatertownSBDC www.twitter.com/nys_sbdc

Watertown Local Development Corp.

St. Lawrence County IDA / Local Development Corp.

Watertown SCORE

www.slcida.com

www.watertownldc.com

www.scorewatertownny.org

www.lcida.org

TWO Events *Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at Jefferson Community College Selling to the Government Matchmaking Event 2012 Make valuable connections for business opportunities.

8:00 am to 1:30 pm Cost $45 Pre-registration required ***********************

“Calling All Veterans” Resource Event Learn about starting a business, procurement opportunities, financing for business, veterans resources and educational benefits at JCC

9:30 am to 12:00 pm No Cost but Pre-registration Required Call 315-782-9262 for information or to pre-register Deadline for both events is March 21

sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu 52 |

NNY Business | March 2012

Friday, March 16

n QR Codes Workshop, 9 to 11 a.m., SUNY Canton Wicks Hall Computer Lab 008. Sponsored by the state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. Presented by Jill Van Hoesen, CIO of Johnson Newspaper Corp. Quick Response codes, or mobile barcodes, will assist any business in e-marketing. Workshop touches on how to develop and use the codes, with a webinar from Proforma Products. Cost: $10. Register: 386-7312 or sbdc@canton.edu.

Friday, March 23

n Social Networking Workshop, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. class with 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. hands-on instruction, SUNY Canton Wicks Hall Computer Lab 006. Sponsored by state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. Presented by Matt Corey, North Country Library System. Class covers how sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn work, hands-on instruction offers the chance to create an account or develop an account you already have. Cost: $10. Register: 3867312 or sbdc@canton.edu.

Friday, March 30

n Introduction to Facebook for Small Businesses, 9 to 11 a.m. class with 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. hands-on instruction, SUNY Canton Wicks Hall Computer Lab 008. Sponsored by state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. Presented by Matt Corey, North Country Library System. Cost: $10.

Register: 386-7312 or sbdc@canton.edu.

Fort Drum Saturday, March 24

n Samaritan Auxiliary’s “One Night, One Diamond” 10th Anniversary, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m., the Commons. Event proceeds fund the purchase of a Radio Frequency identification System to optimize safety and security of atrisk patients at Samaritan Medical Center.

Information, tickets: 785-4479.

Tuesday, April 10

n Procurement Workshop, 5 to 8 p.m., the Commons. Sponsored by North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center at the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Free workshop for anyone looking for more information about government contracting. Presenters from PTAC, SBDC, Empire State Development, DANC, New York Business Development Corp. and Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization.

Register: www.watertownny.com.

Parish Tuesday, March 13

n “Business in Bloom” speaker series, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Grist Mill. Presented by Chena Tucker, SBDC business adviser. Sponsored

by SUNY Oswego Small Business Development Center, Parish Chamber of Commerce and Jefferson Express Mobile Computer Lab.

“E-Commerce: The Online Advantage.” Preregistration required, contact 312-3492 or obcr@oswego.edu. Cost: $5.

Syracuse Wednesday, March 21

n “March Madness,” 7:30 a.m., Bella Domani Restaurant, Taft Road. Sponsored by the Central New York Postal Customer Council. A seminar with a little something for everybody, with tables for Every Door Direct Mail, shipping products and services, Business Customer Gateway, meet the postmaster, non-profit and standard mail and postal trivia. Admission: $5; free with paid annual membership of $40. Information, register: Natalie Dolan, 452-3408 or natalie.c.dolan@usps.gov.

Tuesday, April 3

n WISE Symposium, registration, 8 a.m., event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., OnCenter Complex, 800 S. State St. Sponsored by Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Center.

Seminars, workshops, networking opportunities, business expo and keynote speaker Barbara Corcoran, real estate expert featured on ABC reality show, “Shark Tank.”

Full agenda, information, registration: www. wiseconference.com. Cost: $85; students, $20; afternoon expo only from 3 to 6 p.m., $30. Contact: 443-8693.

Wednesday, April 4

n 2012 CenterState CEO Annual Meeting, noon to 1:30 p.m., Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at the OnCenter, 800 S. State St. Also featuring CEO Business of the Year Awards and New York’s Creative Core $200,000 Emerging Business Competition.

Register: www.centerstateceo.com.

Theresa Saturday, March 24

n Ninth Annual Dodge Pond Fundraiser “Kids to Camp” Chili Cook Off, 1 to 4 p.m., Sportspage Pub. Sponsored by the Theresa Rotary Club. Proceeds benefit children with disabilities, allowing them to attend Dodge Pond summer camp. Entries must be submitted by 1 p.m. Entry fee: $10. Free to attend.

Contact: 628-4711.

Watertown Thursday, March 15

Wednesday, March 21

n Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., the new Davidson Ford store, Route 11. Sponsored by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Cost: Registered members, $8; non-registered members, $10; non-members, $12. Register: www.watertownny.com or 788-4400.

Friday, March 23, to Sunday, March 25

n The Great Outdoor Family Expo 2012, 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, YMCA Fairgrounds Fitness Center. Sponsored by Watertown Noon Rotary Club. Wildlife show from the NYS Zoo at Thompson Park, big buck exhibit, game call seminars, outdoor equipment, raffles, refreshments, chainsaw art, rustic furniture, try SCUBA in an 11,000 gallon pool from the National Aquatic Service with certified instructors. Admission: $3; military discount provided.

Tuesday, March 27

n Selling to the Government Matchmaking Event 2012, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Jefferson Community College. Sponsored by the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College and the North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Businesses will be able to have matchmaking appointments with agencies, prime contractors and corporate sponsors for national, regional and local firms. Admission: $35 before Friday, March 4; $45 before Wednesday, March 21. Information, register: 782-9262.

Tuesday, March 27

n “Calling All Veterans” Resource Event, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Jefferson Community College. Sponsored by SBDC at JCC. Local veterans and disabled veterans can learn about starting a business, procurement opportunities, financing for business, veterans resources and benefits and educational benefits at JCC. Networking and 10-minute advising appointments available. Information: Small Business Development Center, 782-9262.

Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31

n 47th Annual Antique Show and Sale, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dulles State Office Building, Washington Street. Benefits Credo Community Center Foundation. Free parking in parking garage.

Admission: $4, good for both days. Information: Sherry Wilson, 782-8356.

n Business of the Year Luncheon, noon to 2 p.m., Black River Valley Club. Sponsored by Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Cost: $18; non-members, $23. Payment in advance required for nonmembers. Reservations: www.watertownny. com or 788-4400.

Thursday, April 5

Tuesday, March 20

 GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar item? Email editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. Deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue. Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NNY Business for events calendar updates.

n Association of the United States Army Fort Drum Chapter Corporate Mixer, 6 to 8 p.m., Black River Valley Club, Washington Street.

Information: www.oneausa.org.

n 2012 Job and Career Expo, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds Arena.

Sponsored by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Information: www.watertownny.com or 788-4400.

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS EVENTS CALENDAR

Canton

March 2012 | NNY Business

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BUSIN E SS S C E N E GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Hampton Inn

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Kerri J. Derouin, Watertown Savings Bank Chaumont branch, Terri J. Erdner and Michele L. Maitland, both Watertown Savings Bank main office. Above, from left, Susan H. VanBenschoten, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Lorri Adair, Timeless Frames, Decor & Expressions, and Mary C. Adair, Exit More Real Estate. Hampton Inn hosted the February Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Feb. 15.

Top, from left, Nichole A. Scott and Ryan L. Gentile, Sboro’s Restaurant.

Above, from left, Sonia B. Merryman and Kristin M. Dawley, both of Benchmark Family Services.

54 | NNY Business | March 2012

January 2012 | NNY Business

| 54

BUSIN E SS S C E N E GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Hampton Inn

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Dawn M. Vincent, North Country Library System, Andre V. White, Sam’s Club, and Holly C. Pierce, Mary Kay Cosmetics. Above, from left, Wanda L. Wray, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, and Kristen M. Japowicz, New Life Media.

Top, from left, Betsy L. Rogers, Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, and Amberlee Clement, Black River Valley Club. Above, from left, Naomi E. Petrie, Deborah G. Neher, Michael A. DeVito and Nina F. Bacha, all of Hampton Inn.

CREG SYSTEMS n VISIT NNY BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK at www. facebook.com/ nnybusiness to view more than 300 additional Business Scene photos from events across the north country since December.

Alarms / Access Control / Cameras / 24 hr. Monitoring Cabling / CAT 5 CAT 6 / Fiber Optic Phones / VOIP/ Traditional TOSHIBA AVAYA NORTEL Computer / Networking / Routers / Firewalls

24X7 SERVICE, MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS, MONITORING 1039 Water St., Watertown • 788-0000

March 2012 | NNY Business

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BUSIN E SS S C E N E GWNC Chamber Business After Hours

GWNC Chamber Speaker Series

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Lynn M. Pietroski, president & CEO, Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce, Carol Kolceski, W.B. Mason, and Kelly E. Reinhardt, Bernier, Carr & Associates. Above, from left, Joy M. Horn and Rebecca L. Hultz, Scentsy Wickless Candles. Hampton Inn hosted the February Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Feb. 15.

Top, from left, Thomas J. Kamide Jr., the Bonadio Group, Suzanne Reusch, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Above, from left, Steven R. Ingraham, Internal Revenue Service Small Business/Self Employed Division, and Patrick J. Henry, Peebles Realty. NNY Business, the Watertown Daily Times, H&R Block and Verizon Wireless sponsored the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Speaker Series “Resources & Tax Incentives for Small Businesses” on Feb. 23 at the Savory Downtown.

Candy Expressions Gift Baskets for All Occasions 200 Franklin Street, Watertown, NY

(315) 782-5390 • (315) 782-5370

R F $ M 5 O 9

19 56 |

BIRTHDAYS • ANNIVERSARIES WEDDINGS • BABIES

www.candyexpressions.net ✤ www.mixedcompanyhairstudio.com

NNY Business | March 2012

P D ic e k S live-Up h r , ip y ,

Custom Made and Pre-Made Baskets!

BUSIN E SS S C E N E Hospice of Jefferson County at Ellis Farms tour

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Stephen P. Lyman, Hospice of Jefferson County CEO, and Sylvia J. Buduson, Hospice of Jefferson County board member and volunteer. Above, from left, Nancy B. Morrow, Hospice of Jefferson County volunteer coordinator, and Lesley Roberts, Jefferson County Public Health. On Feb. 17, officials unveiled the new Hospice of Jefferson County at Ellis Farms, 1398 Gotham St., Watertown, with public tours.

Top, from left, James W. Wright, executive director, Development Authority of the North Country, and wife, Carol. Above, from left, Carolyn Chamberlain, Hospice of Jefferson County social worker, Darlene A. Smith, Hospice of Jefferson County nurse, and Susan B. Warner, Hospice of Jefferson County.

Cavallario’s Cucina 133 N. Massey St., Watertown • 788-9744

Celebrate 15 YEARS of business with our family throughout April! ~ new menu additions ~ special events ~ and more... all set in a fresh new look.

The Love of Food ~ Family~Friends

Celebrate Around Our Table

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 57

D ININ G G UI D E Brownville Diner 114 W. Main St., Brownville (315) 786-8554

Fung Hing Chinese 225 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9689

Joey’s at the Thousand Island Club 21952 Club Road, Alexandria Bay (315) 482-9999

Café Mira 14 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4470

Gary’s Restaurant 5424 Shady Ave., Lowville (315) 376-6612

Johnny D’s 1 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-6108

Cam’s Pizzeria 25 Public Square, Watertown (315) 779-8900

G&F Italian Pizza and Restaurant 2972 E. Main St., Parish (315) 625-7177

Johnny D’s Bistro 108 108 Court St., Watertown (315) 755-2333

Cavallario’s Cucina 133 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 788-9744

Gold Star Deli 343 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-6155

Karen & Jasper’s Bar & Bistro 1322 Washington St. Plaza, Watertown (315) 788-4110

Cherry Tree Inn 8541 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-7281

Goodfellos 202 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3463

China City 1125 Arsenal St. Suite 2, Watertown (315) 788-8289

Gram’s Diner 13 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4881

Korean Grill 525 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 681-4226

Church Street Diner 107 Church St., Carthage (315) 493-0997

Great Wall Chinese 300 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-7668

Lake Ontario Playhouse 103 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2305

Coleman’s Corner 849 Lawrence St., Watertown (315) 782-6888

Harby’s Hots Outer Washington Street, Watertown (315) 788-2250

Manor Country Diner Route 11, Pierrepont Manor (315) 465-4400

Crossroads Diner 22474 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 782-9591

Herrings Inn 35802 State Route 3, Carthage (315) 493-9829

Limerick Hotel 16331 State Route 12E, Limerick (315) 639-6804

Crystal Restaurant 87 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-9938

Highland Meadows Country Club 24201 State Route 342, Watertown (315) 785-0108

Bernardo’s Pizzeria 702 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9500

Daily Buffet (Chinese) 1283 Arsenal St. Stop 8, Watertown (315) 786-8598

Hops Spot 214.5 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-BEER (2337)

B J’s Grill 610 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-8126

Dano’s Pizzeria and Restaurant 24411 State Route 971V, Felts Mills (315) 773-3266

Home Deli Pizza & Subs 305 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 782-6340

Black River Valley Club 131 Washington St., Watertown (315) 788-2300

Erin’s Isle Restaurant 928 State Route 11C, Brasher Falls (315) 389-4100

Hot Diggity Dogs Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 788-4844

Blue Heron 12050 Route 12E, Chaumont (315) 649-2240

Fairground Inn 852 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7335

India Palace 1196 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-8457

Boathouse 214 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2092

Fiesta Mexicana 566 State St., Watertown (315) 779-7577

Ives Hill Restaurant 435 Flower Ave. W., Watertown (315) 775-4837

Brookside Diner 1873 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9824

Fireside at Partridge Berry Inn 26561 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 782-8401

Jean’s Beans 259 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 788-7460

n A directory of independent coffee houses, bars and restaurants.

Full-service restaurants 1025 Ruyi Japanese Steak House 1025 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 405-4501 1844 House “An American Bistro” 6885 U.S. Route 11, Potsdam (315) 268-1844 2000 Chinese Restaurant 22070 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 788-2000 Arbor Restaurant 10700 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-4842 A & J’s Diner 455 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-4811 Andy’s Caribbean Cuisine 302 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-8658 Apollo Restaurant 1283 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-3569 Art’s Jug 820 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 782-9764 Bella’s Bistro 602 Riverside Drive, Clayton (315) 686-2341

King Star Food Oriental 22265 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 786-0246

Lloyd’s of Lowville 7405 S. State St., Lowville (315) 376-7037 Lucia’s Italian Restaurant 11613 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-2223 Maggie’s on the River 500 Newell St., Watertown (315) 405-4239 Mariano’s Pizza 981 Waterman Drive, Watertown (315) 788-8088 McCarthy’s Restaurant 5821 U.S. Route 11, Canton (315) 386-2564 Midway Ice Cream 891 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 405-4996 Mo’s Place 345 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-5503 Morgia’s Pasta 22560 Fisher Road, Watertown (315) 788-3509 Mr. Sub Sandwich Shop Public Square & Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1760

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58 |

NNY Business | March 2012

NuPier 13212 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3312 Original Italian Pizza 222 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 786-0000 Papa Tino’s Pizzeria 716 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-7272 Pete’s Restaurant 111 Breen Ave., Watertown (315) 782-6640

D ININ G G UI D E Pizza Shack 12699 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2267 Rainbow Shores Restaurant 186 Rainbow Shores Road, Pulaski (315) 298-5110 Rajit 262 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5513

Read the reviews

 Log on to www.watertowndaily times.com to read restaurant reviews

by Watertown Daily Times restaurant critic Walter Siebel.

Get on the list

Ramada Inn 21000 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-0700

 Call NNY Business advertising specialist Clarissa Collins at (315) 661-2305 or email ccollins@wdt.net to have your restaurant or bar listed in our monthly dining guide today.

Riccardo’s Market & Deli 710 Holcomb St., Watertown (315) 782-7810

Shuler’s Steak & Seafood 802 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1429

Riverhouse 4818 Salina St., Pulaski (315)509-4281

Soluri’s Pizza 526 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-2888

Roberts Family Pizzeria 839 State St., Watertown (315) 786-2006

Stonefence Resort 7191 State Route 37, Ogdensburg (315) 393-1545

Roma Restaurant 19 Bridge St., Carthage (315) 493-0616

Stone Jug Pizzeria 104 Bartlett Road, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-1008

Romalato’s Gourmet Deli 450 Gaffney Drive, Watertown (315) 681-6653

Suk Hui Hi’s Korean 1301 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9740

Ryan’s Lookout 9290 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-5151

Super Wok Chinese Restaurant 20991 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-5389

Sackets Harbor Brew Pub 212 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2739

Teriyaki Experience 21852 Towne Center Drive, Watertown (315) 785-9254

Sandy’s Luncheonette 5 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-2935

Thailand Thai Restaurant 1857 State St., Watertown (315) 788-6688

Savory Café 1511 Washington St., Watertown (315) 785-6464

The Place 1612 Ford St., Ogdensburg 315-393-3080

Savory Downtown 300 Washington St., Watertown (315) 782-8000

Tico’s Mex Mex Grill 65 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-4778

Sboro’s Restaurant 836 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1728 Shorty’s Place 1280 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7878

United China Restaurant 144 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 782-4432

Crazy Legs Saloon 536 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 777-8333

Violi’s Restaurant 209 Center St., Massena (315) 764-0329

Edge of the River Pub 519 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 788-0695

Village Inn 8208 Main St., Harrisville (315) 543-9382

Fat Boys 743 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 779-0087

VV’s Mexican Kitchen Noble Street, Evans Mills (315) 629-4652

Fort Pearl Inc. 557 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 786-3333

Walsh’s Pub & Grill 101 E. Main St., Brownville (315) 782-6065

Hitchin’ Post Tavern 404 Court St., Watertown (315) 782-9656

Watertown Golf Club Grill and Bar 1 Thompson Park, Watertown (315) 782-5606

Hometown Pizzeria 4 W. Church St., Adams (315) 232-3000

Willowbrook Golf Club 25075 State Route 37, Watertown (315) 782-8192

Joe’s Tavern 548 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9709

Wing Wagon 71 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-3205

Kicker’s Lounge 498 Factory St., Watertown (315) 785-9392

Coffee Houses

Mick’s Place 204 Factory St., Watertown (315) 786-1992

Brew Ha Ha 468 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1175 Chrissy Beanz Bakery 105 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2330 Coffee Shop Carbone Plaza, Watertown (315) 782-0450 Danny’s Coffee 21181 Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 782-7057

Paddock Club 5 Paddock Arcade, Watertown (315) 786-6633 Pappy’s Bowlmor Lanes 227 E. Orvis St., Massena (315) 769-9877 Pewter Mug 1120 Gill St., Watertown (315) 782-0200

Bars / drinking establishments

Seth’s Pub 558 State St., Watertown (315) 681-6645

Tilted Kilt 1050 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5458

Artie’s Tavern 329 High St., Watertown (315) 782-9616

Shootie’s Bar 504 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 782-9724

Tin Pan Galley 110 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3812

Clueless 545 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-9006

Time Warp Tavern 302 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9784

March 2012 | NNY Business

| 59

BUSIN E SS H IS T O R Y

Social club perseveres n Black River Valley Club a longtime symbol of Watertown’s affluent history

By Lenka Walldroff

W

Jefferson County Historical Society

atertown was an affluent city during the late 1800s.

Its citizens included wealthy business owners, industrial barons and bankers, granting it the distinction of having the highest number of millionaires per capita in the United States — fertile ground for a private social club. It is during this period that the Black River Valley Club was born.

However, the club was not always known as such. What was originally the Union Club was organized in Watertown in 1876 and incorporated in 1891. The name was changed to the Kamargo Club for a brief time and finally the Black River Valley Club in January 1905. Although few surviving records having to do with the original Union Club exist, given the socio-economic status of Watertown during the 1880s, one cannot help but speculate that Watertown’s Union Club might have in some way been associated with the prestigious Union Club in New York City — the second oldest private club in the United States dating back to 1836.

Among the members of Watertown’s Union Club were some of the city’s most well-known citizens including S.T. Woolworth, Orville Hungerford, Joseph Mullin, W.W. Taggart, George Clark and W.W. Conde. The original club rooms were located at 114 Sterling St. The Union Club moved a number of times before locating suitable downtown quarters on what was then known as 21 Washington St. – the Black River Valley Club’s present location. The limestone house that originally stood there was purchased for $12,000 in 1891 and is thought to have been built as early as 1824.

In 1900, an addition was built onto the rear of the house to accommodate basement-level bowling alleys and a ballroom.

The addition was short lived however, as the stone house was demolished approximately five years later to make room for a

60 |

NNY Business | March 2012

JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

In this torn archival photograph, an arrow points to the present Black River Valley Club building as it looked in 1910, approximately five years after its construction. By this time, the club’s board of governors voted to allow women to become associate members.

new building to be constructed.

In 1904, Kamargo Club members, as they were then called, met to discuss their dissatisfaction with club management and to start their own club — which they named the Black River Valley Club. The new BRVC members negotiated the purchase of the Kamargo Club property and held their first meeting there on Jan. 28, 1905.

While the club was originally closed to women membership, the board of governors in 1907 voted to allow women to become associate members at a cost of $10 per year. Such a decision was a truly progressive one during a time that preceded women’s suffrage by more than a decade. Mary S. Goodale was the first female member. Her membership fees were waived in gratitude for the Westminster clock that she donated to the club, which still stands in the lobby today.

JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

An arrow points to the original 1860 headquarters of the Black River Valley Club before construction of its present building in the same location in 1905. The original limestone building featured a widow’s walk and a terraced entryway with colonnaded corners.

The club routinely engaged in many civic activities, including planting a victory garden during World War I, and suspension of membership dues for active military and for those who worked with the Red Cross during both world wars.

The club was well-managed financially but, like many social clubs across the nation, it faced its darkest days when the stock market crashed in October 1929.

During the ensuing Great Depression the club experienced a dramatic loss of membership — a total of 237 people between December 1929 and January 1933. By 1934, the club was operating on a day-to-day basis, never certain if its doors would open the next day.

By 1935, however, the financial situation began to improve, thanks to the able leadership and hard work and generosity of its members. By 1941, only six years later, the club was completely debt free.

The war years of 1942 through 1945 saw even greater financial improvement as the club became a favorite venue with the military populations of Madison Barracks and Pine Camp, now Fort Drum.

As was common with many private social clubs, members of the Black River Valley Club enjoyed reciprocal guest privileges with clubs throughout the state. If club members found themselves in Syracuse, Utica, Rochester, Buffalo or Binghamton there were local clubs in those cities that would welcome them and still do today.

The Black River Valley Club has faced numerous challenges and has enjoyed multiple successes through the years. The club remains one of the oldest continuously operating social organizations in the county and one of the few public buildings in Watertown’s downtown district to have survived the destruction of urban renewal.

It is an incredible gem — an active organization that can count among its membership people who we can now only read about in history books. The club was here through the glory of the city’s Gilded Age as well as the depression of its mid-20th century decline.

What is most striking, however, is that the club is still available for the use of our citizenry as we look towards the city’s future. n Lenka P. Walldroff is curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Museum. She is a former museum specialist and conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

JEFFERSON COUNTY JOB DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

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March 2012 | NNY Business

| 61

W H AT ’ S H A P P E NIN G H E R E ?

Samaritan senior village Location: Washington Summit, outer Washington Street, Watertown.

SIZE: Facility has 168 skillednursing beds and 120 assisted-living beds, on an 18 acre lot.

COST: $72 million PROJECT MANAGER: Dale E. Kraybill, vice president of Purcell Construction, Watertown.

CONTRACTORS: Purcell Con-

struction and Lecesse Construction, West Henrietta. Project oversight: Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown.

DESIGN ENGINEERS: RLPS

Architects, Lancaster, Pa.

ESTIMATED COMPLETION: Early 2013.

LOCAL JOBS: 300 jobs at the village, more than 200 construction jobs.

— Compiled by Kyle R. Hayes

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Construction continues on the $72 million, 288-bed Samaritan Senior Village off outer Washington Street. Amenities at the senior village include a kitchen, beauty parlor and a gift shop. The facility is expected to open early next year.

Northern New York Builders Exchange, Inc. 22074 Fabco Road • Watertown, NY Tel: 315-788-1330 • Fax: 315-788-9357 Headquarters of the Building Industry in Northern New York

The 36th Annual North Country Home Show March 30th, 31st & April 1st Show Hours are: Friday, March 30th - 5:00pm to 9:00pm Saturday, March 31st - 10:00am to 7:00pm Sunday, April 1st - 10:00am to 3:00pm Tickets $5.00 for adults • $4.00 for Seniors over 65 & Military • Children 16 and under FREE

For more information please call: 788-1330 62 |

NNY Business | March 2012

N E X T M ON T H

I

n our April cover story, we examine the impact of the automotive industry on Northern New York and its economy as several major auto dealers invest in new and expanded retail and service facilities.

Also coming next month: n A NEIGHBORHOOD STAPLE: In many communities across the north country, neighborhood markets are staging a comeback. We take you inside a handful that are beating the odds against big-box rivals. n An italian MilesTONE : For 15 years, Brenda Cavallario has worked to perfect family recipes at Cavallario’s Cucina. We share her family restaurant’s story. n 20 QUestions: An in-depth interview with a north country business leader. n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agri-Business, Business History, Business Scene and more. n FOLLOW US ON Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness for more Business Scene photos.

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